Effects of Rapid Strain Rates in Plastic Intake Manifolds

Intake systems for automotive use have been progressively converted to lighter weight materials over the past decade or so. Meeting all of the operational requirements for an intake system is a “given”, as well as meeting those additional requirements associated with conditions which are considered to be abnormal or undesired. As is frequently the case, the very abnormality of the undesired conditions (“e.g. backfires”) is accompanied by a lack of published data. In attempting to collect data for “intake backfires” one encounters the test complications associated with running pyrotechnic events in an industrial environment. This paper discusses an approach by Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, supported by Siemens automotive,to develop a non pyrotechnic test that could be used to authenticate simulations and steady state tests.