Computational study of gas-dynamic approach for noise reduction in atwo-stroke engine’s exhaust system

BACKGROUND: The traditional approach to designing exhaust mufflers relies heavily on energy dissipation. In the "gas-dynamic" approach, the flow of exhaust gases is equalized by introducing long channel(s) into the muffler to separate impulses and shift them in time. It is assumed that such mufflers will provide noise reduction without creating significant backpressure.

AIMS: To evaluate the potential of the "gas-dynamic" approach to reducing the noise level of two-stroke internal combustion engines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out using computational models. The processes in the gas-air tract of the piston engine were calculated using a one-dimensional (1D) model. The noise characteristic was the effective sound pressure at a specified point in the environment, calculated using 2D model of propagation of disturbances in elastic medium. The object of study was a two-stroke gasoline two-cylinder engine RMZ-551i, with a resonator (providing gas-dynamic supercharging) and a muffler. Initially, the parameters and sound pressure level of the engine with the stock muffler at full load and close to nominal engine speed were calculated. Then, the structure of the stock muffler was modified by adding a "tuned" channel between its two chambers. The parameters of the modified muffler were optimized based on the criterion of reducing gas pulsations at the outlet to the atmosphere. The noise reduction of the muffler implementing the gas-dynamic approach was evaluated relative to the stock muffler and expressed in terms of sound pressure levels in dB. Performance and levels of sound pressure were finally calculated over a wide range of engine speeds.

RESULTS: According to the computational estimate, the optimal implementation of the gas-dynamic approach in the muffler reduces exhaust noise by 7 dB, while engine power decreases by 2.5%. Calculation of the sound pressure level based on the external speed characteristic showed that at an engine speed of 3000 rpm, the calculated sound pressure exceedsby 8 dB the minimum (99 dB) obtained for the optimally "tuned" muffler at an engine speed of 5000 rpm. It is suggested that the gas-dynamic approach with optimization is also applicable for uniform noise reduction over a wide range of engine speeds, with a more complex structure of the exhaustmuffler.

CONCLUSIONS: Theoretical evaluation of a muffler with a tuned channel connecting its two chambers was carried out, with a two-stroke engine RMZ-551i with a stock muffler as a basis for comparison. At the optimum point on the speed characteristic, the exhaust noise was reduced by 7 dB, while the calculated power decrease was insignificant. The authorsnote the suitability of the methodology for rapid assessments and automated computational optimization of mufflers that utilize wave effects. They also point out the limitations of the models used, which require validation or rather calibration based on experimental data, and the need for the development of applied models of acoustic effects and measuring devices for domestic CAE packages.