SAE Formula 1 Exhaust Design

• Vedo Dizdarevic
• Jaemo Kang
• Rolando Garcia

The purpose of an exhaust system is to divert exhaust gases, control noise, improve engine performance and to improve upon fuel consumption. Fumes are channeled from the cylinders of the engine and are released through an opening; these fumes then travel through a muffler to reduce noise levels. The silencer reflects the sound waves back at each other to cancel out the noise. This is done to follow vehicle regulations, in this case it is to follow SAE F19 vehicle regulations. The regulations state that the exhaust must maintain noise levels of 103 dBC when idle and 110 dBC at all other speeds, from which the silencer in consideration should preserve that threshold. In order to preserve the amount of noise permitted, the sound waves coming into the muffler must be tuned in the manifold. CFD simulations allow the pressure waves to bounce upon the walls and reflect on each other, these waves are analyzed and adjusted to fit rhythmically as they transfer through the pipes. Using proper meshing and controlled wave inputs, tests are conducted on pipes to understand proper tuning and pressure peaks. This analysis is then transferred to the final product. The tests cannot give the proper results the group intended on retrieving, the team can only infer on proper designs to theoretically create the result. In this study, a muffler will not be created to tune the waves, but a suggestion shall be made to the SAE team in which the team will confidently know that the noise will be within the threshold.