Oval-to-round exhaust collector system

A merge collector for directing a flow of exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a collector flowtube of constant circumference along an entire length thereof, said flowtube comprising:
• a substantially oval-shaped collector inlet for coupling with a substantially oval-shaped manifold outlet formed from a plurality of primary headers having discharge portions merged together at a merge angle;
• and
• a substantially-round collector outlet for coupling with a substantially-round pipe inlet of a secondary pipe having a diameter greater than a diameter of the primary headers,
• wherein a transverse cross-sectional area of the collector flowtube from the collector inlet to the collector outlet continuously increases to cause a continuous expansion of the flow of exhaust gases.

An exhaust collector system for discharging a flow of exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a first and a second plurality of primary headers being merged together at a first merge angle into a first and a second substantially oval-shaped manifold outlets, respectively;
• a first and a second collector flowtube, each having a constant circumference along an entire length thereof and a substantially oval-shaped collector inlet coupled with a respective first and second manifold outlet;
• a third collector flowtube of constant circumference along an entire length thereof and having a substantially oval-shaped third collector inlet and a substantially-round third collector outlet;
• wherein the first and second collector flowtubes are merged together at a second merge angle to form a third substantially oval-shaped manifold outlet coupled to the substantially oval-shaped collector inlet of the third collector flowtube;
• and
• wherein a flow of an exhaust gas from any primary header, through a respective first or second collector flowtube and into the third collector flowtube does not encounter a reduction in transverse cross-sectional area along the flow path thereof.

A merge collector for directing a flow of exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a first and a second collector flowtubes, each having a constant circumference along an entire length thereof and a substantially oval-shaped collector inlet for coupling with a substantially oval-shaped manifold outlet formed from a plurality of primary headers merged together at a first merge angle;
• a third collector flowtube of constant circumference along an entire length thereof and having a substantially oval-shaped third collector inlet and a substantially-round third collector outlet;
• wherein the first and second collector flowtubes are merged together at a second merge angle to form a third substantially oval-shaped manifold outlet coupled to the substantially oval-shaped collector inlet of the third collector flowtube;
• and
• wherein a transverse cross-sectional area through the merge collector from either first or second collector inlet to the third collector outlet continuously increases to cause a continuous expansion of the flow of exhaust gases.

A method of forming an exhaust gas collector system for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• obtaining a collector flowtube having a substantially oval-shaped collector inlet, a substantially-round collector outlet and a constant circumference along an entire length thereof;
• coupling the collector inlet to a substantially oval-shaped manifold outlet formed from a plurality of primary headers having discharge portions merged together at a merge angle;
• and
• coupling the collector outlet to a substantially-round secondary pipe having a pipe inlet diameter greater than a diameter of a primary header, wherein a flow path of the exhaust gas from any primary header, through the collector flowtube and into the secondary pipe does not encounter a reduction in transverse cross-sectional area along the flow path thereof.