Muffler as an element of the exhaust system - design, construction, significance for the engine

If you drive a car with an internal combustion engine, you 100% have an exhaust system. It is essential in a car. It removes from the combustion chamber substances resulting from the ignition of the mixture. It consists of several parts, and one of the most important is the muffler. The name of this element already says something. It is responsible for absorbing vibrations caused by the movement of particles, and allows you to make the operation of the drive unit quieter. How does this mechanism work and what role does it play? Read and check!

How a car muffler works - specifications

In cars built decades ago, no attention was paid to the acoustic qualities of the car. Therefore, the exhaust system was usually a straight pipe without additional mufflers or complex shapes. Currently, the muffler is an integral element of the system responsible for the removal of gases from the engine. Its design is designed in such a way that it can absorb vibrations caused by the movement of exhaust gases. The latter are gaseous and solid particles that generate sounds as a result of their movement.

Vibration damping and exhaust system installation

As you probably know (and if not, you will soon find out), the exhaust system elements are placed on rubber suspensions. Why? The reason is very simple - as a result of different rotations of the motor, the vibration frequency is variable. If the exhaust system were rigidly connected to the chassis of the car, it could be damaged very quickly. In addition, a lot of vibrations and vibrations would enter the interior of the car through the structure of the car, which would impair driving comfort.

Types of mufflers in internal combustion vehicles

Engine specifications are different, so each must use different exhaust system components. There is no single ideal exhaust gas damping system. You can find silencers on the market that absorb them in a variety of ways. They can be divided into 4 main groups:

• absorption mufflers;
• reflective mufflers;
• jammers;
• combined mufflers.

Absorption silencer

This type of muffler consists of perforated pipes. Exhaust gases exit into the muffler through properly prepared openings and meet with wave absorbing material. Due to the movement of particles, the pressure increases or decreases. Thus, part of the energy is absorbed and the volume of the unit is muffled.

reflex silencer

Such a muffler uses baffles or variable diameter exhaust pipes. The wave of flue gases is reflected from the encountered obstacles, due to which their energy is neutralized. The reflective circuit can be shunt or series. The first one has an additional vibration dampening channel, and the second one contains corresponding elements providing vibration damping.

Interference suppressor

In such a muffler, exhaust channels of different lengths were used. Exhaust gases leave the engine compartment and enter the exhaust system, where the mufflers are of different lengths and go in different directions. Before the particles escape into the atmosphere, the channels are connected to each other. This causes waves of varying degrees of pulsation to self-neutralize.

Combined silencer

Each of the above structures has its drawbacks. None of these dampers can neutralize vibrations over the entire engine speed range. Some are great at low frequency sounds, while others are great at high frequency sounds. That is why currently produced cars use a combined muffler. As the name suggests, it combines several ways to absorb exhaust vibration to make it as efficient as possible.

Automobile muffler and its place in the exhaust system

The customer is much more interested in where the muffler is installed in the exhaust system than how it is made.

There are 3 types of mufflers in this unit:

• initial;
• middle;
• the final.

End silencer - what is its function?

By far the most frequently replaced part of an exhaust system is the muffler, located at the end of the system. If it is present, the risk of mechanical damage and wear of the material increases. The exhaust muffler also has a significant impact on the final sound produced by the engine, and sometimes this element needs to be replaced to keep it in order.

Sports muffler - what is it?

Some may be disappointed because simply replacing the exhaust muffler with a sports one will not improve engine performance. Why? The muffler, located at the end of the system, has little effect on power. However, it is an indispensable element of optical and acoustic tuning. This part, mounted under the bumper, gives the car a sporty look and produces a slightly modified (often more bass) sound.

Car muffler and engine power increase

If you really want to feel the power gain, you need to completely replace the exhaust system. The exhaust manifold and catalytic converter, as well as the diameter of the exhaust itself, have the greatest influence on the reduction in power of the unit. You already know how a muffler works and understand that it doesn't affect the power you get that much. Tuning this element makes sense only when finalizing the entire exhaust system.

Silencers for passenger cars - prices for spare parts

How much does a silencer cost? The price should not be high if you have a slightly older car. An example is one of the most popular passenger car models Audi A4 B5 1.9 TDI. The cost of a new muffler is about 160-20 euros, the newer the car, the more you have to pay. Obviously, end silencers in premium and sports cars cost the most. Do not be surprised at the cost of active sports silencers in several thousand zlotys.

Car mufflers - their functions in the car

The damper is primarily designed to absorb vibrations. Rather, these mechanisms are not manufactured in terms of changing the performance of the unit. City cars and cars from segments B and C should be quiet and comfortable. It is slightly different for vehicles with powerful powertrains and vehicles with sporty performance. In them, silencers further improve the flow of gases, which allows you to generate the right sound and maximum performance.

Changing the muffler to "sporty" often only changes the sound and performance, but the latter will be worse than before. Therefore, it is better not to touch this part of the exhaust without interfering with its other components. Only a general chip tuning will increase power. Also remember that the police can effectively - nomen omen - quell your enthusiasm for a loud exhaust with a check and a fine of up to 30 euros. So be aware that a muffler can be noisy, but there are clear rules on noise standards.