International Congress and Exposition Detroit, Michigan February 24-28, 1986Measured Steady Flow Velocity Distributions Around a Valve/Seat Annulus

Measurements were made of the three velocity components at the exit plane of the intake valve from an internal combustion engine. The velocities were measured using hot-wire anemometry in a steady-flow rig, and an assessment was made of the effects of flow rate, valve lift, cylinder bore diameter, and inlet configuration on the velocity distribution around the intake valve.

The results showed that over the range of flow rates tested, the normalized velocity profiles are independent of flow rate. At a fixed flow rate, the velocity profiles around the valve periphery are found to be strongly dependent on proximity to the cylinder head. Close to the cylinder head, the profiles are skewed but become more uniform as the distance from the cylinder head increases. In addition, the results indicate that the profiles are sensitive to the valve lift and to the proximity of the cylinder wall to the valve axis. Finally, there are strong indications suggesting that the flow entering the cylinder is fully turbulent.