What is a snorkel on a car: types, principle of operation and device for air intake
Content
A car engine needs atmospheric air, and it needs to be thoroughly cleaned of everything else, especially water, which can bring a lot of trouble. Ordinary cars on city streets and highways simply take this air from the engine compartment, but this approach is not suitable for SUVs. They sometimes have to dive into water obstacles on fords and just deep puddles. There, water fills the engine completely, along with a standard air intake.
What to do in such a situation? There is a way out, it became possible to overcome water obstacles with the help of a snorkel, which is discussed in more detail below.
Why put a snorkel on a car
It is difficult to drive a route off-road and not get into a situation where you have to go through a water barrier, even not very deep, about a meter. If the water level does not reach the air intake pipe into the engine, then the probability of sipping dirty liquid from the intake system is very high.
The fact is that the surface of the water is not ideal, the car drives a wave, including under the hood. The situation is exacerbated by the operation of the cooling fan and drive belts, which scatter water in fountains.
If the electrical wiring of the car and other critical components for flooding can be sealed in various ways, then it will not work to clear the air of the liquid just like that.
It is necessary to bring the air intake outside and as high as possible, that is, above the roof of the car. Otherwise, water will get into the motor, at best, the air filter will get wet and refuse to work normally, and at worst, a water hammer will occur. That is, an incompressible liquid enters the combustion chamber, after which the parts will inevitably be destroyed.
Principle of operation
The idea of a snorkel has been known for a long time; the first submarines used a long pipe through which internal combustion engines breathed. Through it it was possible to pump air for the crew. It was also called a snorkel for scuba diving.
In addition to water, the snorkel also saves the cylinders from a large amount of dust, which will quickly clog the air filter until it is completely airtight.
The inlet pipe of the external air duct is located in the most dust-free space - high above the hood, in front of the windshield frame.
In addition, the air there has a lower temperature than in the engine compartment, which means a higher oxygen density per unit volume. This means that more fuel can be supplied, which is insignificant, but will increase the output of the engine.
Устройство
A typical snorkel contains:
- elastic corrugated hose connecting the snorkel air duct, attached to the body, with the engine air filter inlet pipe;
- a rigid pipe of complex shape and large internal section, leading the line along the body pillar to the roof;
- a nozzle that takes air from the atmosphere sometimes has a rather complex device with the functions of additional cleaning and even a slight boost.
This whole structure is attached to the fender, mudguard, pillar and windshield frame. The corrugation is crimped with clamps on both sides on the nozzles of the snorkel and the air filter housing.
Types of attachments
Sometimes the snorkel tube simply ends with an inlet positioned so that no direct raindrops can enter. But often manufacturers seek to complicate the nozzle, increasing the consumer properties of the product. All nozzles can be roughly divided into ganders and cyclones.
Goose
It is named so for its shape, which is distinguished by the bending of the trajectory of the movement of the intake air. The nozzle cut plane can be oriented in various ways relative to the oncoming flow, including at different angles to the vertical.
By orienting the intake port forward, you can slightly increase the pressure at the inlet flow, making it easier for the engine to breathe, which will have a beneficial effect on power and fuel consumption. But at the same time, the likelihood of dust and water spray entering the pipe during rain will increase. In addition, it is easier to damage the nozzle in the forest.
Cyclone
A much more complex design, designed to purify the air from coarse impurities. Inside, both flow injection effects and additional impellers are used, forming a kind of dust centrifuge. Sometimes they are equipped with a transparent dust collector, through the walls of which you can determine the need for cleaning.
There are also very serious designs with additional filtration, which are able to work in very dusty areas, for example, when driving in a column along dusty desert roads.
Such nozzles are quite expensive, many times higher than the full price of a conventional snorkel with installation. But without them, the existence of a car in such conditions, in principle, is in question. The regular filter will last for several kilometers.
Pros and cons of using a snorkel
Rather, we can talk about the need for its use on a car in specific conditions, than about the merits or about what it prevents:
- the main thing is to protect the engine from water hammer, the ability to overcome water areas;
- initial filtration of dirty and humid air;
- extending the life of the air filter;
- an increase in engine power at high speeds with a strong oncoming air flow, although not by much, this is not supercharging.
But the shortcomings are immediately visible:
- change in the appearance of the car, possible questions from the traffic police;
- increase in aerodynamic resistance of the intake tract;
- damage to the body and its anti-corrosion protection during installation;
- additional expenses.
Sometimes a snorkel is put simply as a decoration that may someday be needed. If such tuning brings joy to the owner, one cannot but add this to the pluses of refinement.
Do I need to register the air intake tube
The legality of installing a snorkel is not clearly spelled out. On the one hand, any changes in the design of the vehicle are prohibited, that is, certification will be required with all the heap of paper problems and money spent. On the other hand, such a change does not affect safety, if it does not limit visibility from the driver's seat. The inspector will decide.
Of course, a snorkel is legal if it comes from the factory and is inscribed in the vehicle type approval (OTTS). Or later legalized by the owner himself according to the established procedure.
Since off-road tuning is never limited to one air intake, it will be included in the general design change registration package, along with bumpers, an elevator, custom wheels and a winch. A snorkel alone will not add cross-country ability to a car.
How to make a snorkel with your own hands
Recently, when numerous companies make accessories for any SUVs, there is no need to invent a snorkel from plumbing pipes with your own hands, as was done before. But theoretically it is possible, it is only necessary to use large-section pipes, of the order of 60-70 mm, otherwise the engine will be strangled.
And purchase a corrugated sleeve (corrugation) to connect the pipeline to the inlet pipe. If the appearance of such a product does not scare away - why not.
Installation on UAZ Patriot
Equipping the Patriot with a snorkel begins with the acquisition of the necessary set of parts. A good package should include the snorkel itself, a nozzle, clamps, a template and a set of fasteners.
You may need to buy something locally:
- if there is a template in the kit, then it is applied to the right wing and the passage and mounting holes are marked;
- for convenience, the heater housing is dismantled from the niche of the right mudguard;
- drilling of the wing and the mudguard located behind it is performed with a core drill according to the diameter of the snorkel tube;
- for fastening to the rack, its upholstery is removed from the inside;
- having marked according to the template, they drill mounting holes for standard fasteners from the kit;
- the final fastening is made, the nozzle and corrugation are put on, everything is tightened with clamps and sealed from water and moisture.
If you have a tool and "hands", there is nothing difficult to install, the work is available to everyone, and the savings are significant, the installation cost is quite comparable to the price of the kit.
