Intake system for V-Type engine

An inlet manifold system for an internal combustion engine having a bank of a plurality of combustion cylinders, the manifold comprising:

• a first elongated plenum disposed substantially parallel to and above the bank of cylinders;
• a first set of a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced apart demand runners joined to the first plenum along its length, each demand runner extending from the first plenum to a respective cylinder and in fluid connection with the first plenum and the cylinder;
• a first set of a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced apart supply runners joined to the first plenum along its length and in fluid connection therewith;
• the demand runners and the supply runners connected to the first plenum such that each pair of adjacent spaced apart demand runners has a supply runner therebetween;
• and
• valve means disposed in the first plenum operative between a first open position and a second closed position, and said valve means operative in the first position to allow communication between the demand runners and the supply runners and operative in the second position to segment the plenum into a series of discrete segments each containing a single supply runner and demand runner to cause dedicated flow from a specific supply runner to a specific adjacent demand runner.

An inlet manifold system for an internal combustion engine having a bank of a plurality of combustion cylinders, the manifold comprising:

• an elongated plenum disposed substantially parallel to and above the bank of cylinders;
• a set of a plurality of substantially parallel spaced apart demand runners joined to the plenum along its length, each demand runner extending from the plenum to a respective cylinder and in fluid connection with the plenum and the cylinder;
• a set of a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced apart supply runners joined to the plenum along its length and in fluid connection therewith;
• the demand runners and the supply runners connected to the plenum such that each pair of adjacent spaced apart demand runners has a supply runner therebetween;
• and
• valve means disposed in the plenum segmenting the plenum into a series of discrete segments each containing a single supply runner and demand runner to cause dedicated flow from a specific supply runner to a specific adjacent demand runner.

An inlet manifold system for a V-type internal combustion engine having first and second banks of a plurality of combustion cylinders, the manifold comprising:

• a central plenum;
• a first and second elongated plenum disposed substantially parallel to and above each corresponding bank of the cylinders;
• a set of a plurality of substantially parallel spaced apart demand runners joined to each of the first and second plenums along its length, each demand runner extending from the plenum to a respective cylinder in fluid connection with the plenum and the cylinder;
• a set of a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced apart supply runners joined to each of the first and second plenums along their length and to the central plenum along its length and in fluid connection therewith;
• the demand runners and the supply runners connected to the the first and second plenums such that each pair of adjacent spaced apart demand runners has a supply runner therebetween;
• and
• valve means disposed in each of the first and second plenums movable between a first and second position, said valve means segmenting the plenum into a series of discrete segments each containing a single supply runner and demand runner to cause dedicated flow from a specific supply runner to a specific adjacent demand runner in a first position, and opening said plenum to a volume in communication with all supply runners and demand runners when said valve is in a said second position.

A method of adjusting the airflow to the cylinders of a multicylinder engine, comprising the steps of:

• supplying air to a plenum from a plurality of supply runners connected to the plenum;
• sliding a valve within the plenum from a first position to a second position;
• communicating a corresponding number of demand runners with the interior of the plenum by positioning the slide valve to a first position;
• and
• restricting communication of a single supply runner with a single demand runner by positioning the slide valve in the second position.

A method of governing engine performance by adjusting airflow to cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine, the method comprising the steps of:

• supplying air to a plenum from a plurality of supply runners connected to the plenum;
• sliding a valve within the plenum from a first position to a second position;
• communicating a plurality of demand runners of corresponding number to the supply runners with the interior of the plenum by positioning the slide valve to a first position;
• restricting communication of each of the demand runners with a single supply runner by positioning the slide valve in the second position;
• and
• sliding the valve to the second position when engine rpm exceeds a pre-determined value to choke the demand runner and act as a governor for the inlet flow to the engine.