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Some folks say a carburetor is simple. I say it is an highly complex ingenious design that does a pretty damn good job. Hopefully, some of this will help people to understand what is really going on.
Venturi Principles
A carburetor must measure the airflow through the induction system and use this measurement to regulate the amount of fuel discharged into the airstream. The air measuring unit is the venturi, which makes use of a basic law of physics:
as the velocity of a gas or liquid increases, the pressure decreases.
As shown in the figure above, a simple venturi is a passageway or tube in which there is a narrow portion called the throat. As the velocity of the air increases to get through the narrow portion, its pressure drops. Note that the pressure in the throat is lower than that in any other part of the venturi. This pressure drop is proportional to the velocity and is, therefore, a measure of the airflow. The basic operating principle of most carburetors depends on the differential pressure between the inlet and the venturi throat.
Application of Venturi Principle to Carburetor
The carburetor is mounted on the engine so that air to the cylinders passes through the barrel, the part of the carburetor which contains the venturi. The size and shape of the venturi depends on the requirements of the engine for which the carburetor is designed. A carburetor for a high-powered engine may have one large venturi or several small ones. The air may flow either up or down the venturi, depending on the design of the engine and the carburetor. Those in which the air passes downward are known as downdraft carburetors, and those in which the air passes upward are called updraft carburetors.
Air flows through the induction system. When a piston moves toward the crankshaft (down) on the intake stroke, the pressure in the cylinder is lowered. Air rushes through the carburetor and intake manifold to the cylinder to replace the air displaced by the piston as it moved down on the intake stroke. Due to this low pressure area caused by the piston moving down, the higher pressure air in the atmosphere flows in to fill the low pressure area. As it does, the airflow must pass through the carburetor venturi. The throttle valve is located between the venturi and the engine. Mechanical linkage connects this valve with the throttle lever. By means of the throttle, airflow to the cylinders is regulated and controls the power output of the engine. Actually, more air is admitted to the engine by the throttle opening, and the carburetor automatically supplies enough additional gasoline to maintain the correct fuel/air ratio. This is because as the volume of airflow increases, the velocity in the venturi increases, lowering the pressure and allowing more fuel to be forced into the airstream. The throttle valve obstructs the passage of air very little when it is parallel with the flow, in the wide open throttle position.
More to follow. Don't want folks' eyes to glaze over with information overload.
Venturi Principles
A carburetor must measure the airflow through the induction system and use this measurement to regulate the amount of fuel discharged into the airstream. The air measuring unit is the venturi, which makes use of a basic law of physics:
as the velocity of a gas or liquid increases, the pressure decreases.
As shown in the figure above, a simple venturi is a passageway or tube in which there is a narrow portion called the throat. As the velocity of the air increases to get through the narrow portion, its pressure drops. Note that the pressure in the throat is lower than that in any other part of the venturi. This pressure drop is proportional to the velocity and is, therefore, a measure of the airflow. The basic operating principle of most carburetors depends on the differential pressure between the inlet and the venturi throat.
Application of Venturi Principle to Carburetor
The carburetor is mounted on the engine so that air to the cylinders passes through the barrel, the part of the carburetor which contains the venturi. The size and shape of the venturi depends on the requirements of the engine for which the carburetor is designed. A carburetor for a high-powered engine may have one large venturi or several small ones. The air may flow either up or down the venturi, depending on the design of the engine and the carburetor. Those in which the air passes downward are known as downdraft carburetors, and those in which the air passes upward are called updraft carburetors.
Air flows through the induction system. When a piston moves toward the crankshaft (down) on the intake stroke, the pressure in the cylinder is lowered. Air rushes through the carburetor and intake manifold to the cylinder to replace the air displaced by the piston as it moved down on the intake stroke. Due to this low pressure area caused by the piston moving down, the higher pressure air in the atmosphere flows in to fill the low pressure area. As it does, the airflow must pass through the carburetor venturi. The throttle valve is located between the venturi and the engine. Mechanical linkage connects this valve with the throttle lever. By means of the throttle, airflow to the cylinders is regulated and controls the power output of the engine. Actually, more air is admitted to the engine by the throttle opening, and the carburetor automatically supplies enough additional gasoline to maintain the correct fuel/air ratio. This is because as the volume of airflow increases, the velocity in the venturi increases, lowering the pressure and allowing more fuel to be forced into the airstream. The throttle valve obstructs the passage of air very little when it is parallel with the flow, in the wide open throttle position.
More to follow. Don't want folks' eyes to glaze over with information overload.
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