Validation of erosion wear models for a stainless steel automobile exhaust manifold
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the erosion wear rate of a stainless steel automobile exhaust manifold, both computationally and physically.
Design/methodology/approach
The experiment was performed on a motorcycle exhaust manifold as well as on a 3D model, created using SolidWorks 2022 CAD software. The analysis was later achieved using ANSYS 19.2 simulation software using Fluent – code.
Findings
The analysis of solid particle erosion in the exhaust manifold revealed that erosion wear is concentrated predominantly at the extrados of the manifold, with the most significant wear occurring at the lowermost bend. The erosion wear rate increases with larger particulate sizes and varies among bends, with negligible wear observed in straight pipes. The SEM analysis further confirmed surface degradation, with rugged textures, pits and grooves indicating abrasive wear. Spine-like structures and fractured soot particles suggest erosive and abrasive forces caused by high-speed contact of exhaust gas compounds. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed significant carbon abundance, indicating carbonaceous compounds from fuel combustion, along with notable amounts of oxygen and iron, typical of oxidized metallic constituents. The discrete phase modeling (DPM) analysis highlighted peak particulate matter deposition at the first bend exit, with maximum concentrations observed at specific angles. This deposition is influenced by centrifugal force, leading to increased PM concentration at outer bend walls. Velocity magnitude contours showed asymmetrical flow profiles, with high turbulence levels and secondary flow induced by centrifugal effects in bend areas. Dynamic pressure contours revealed varying pressures at intrados and extrados, with maximum pressure observed at the intrados of the manifold’s bends. These findings provide valuable insights into erosion wear, particulate dispersion and flow dynamics within the exhaust manifold.
Originality/value
The study investigated an automobile exhaust manifold model using ANSYS Fluent code and DPM to analyze erosion wear rate phenomena and its various constituents. This analysis was conducted in comparison with a physically eroded sample. The study offers insights into the mechanism underlying the exhaust manifold of an automobile.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge “Chandigarh University” for supporting this research work.
Author contributions: All authors have contributed to the study conception and design. Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis and investigation, writing – original draft preparation, material preparation, data collection, analysis and the first draft of the manuscript was prepared by Srikar Sarma Kona. Proofreading, editing and final edits have been performed by Navdeep Sharma Dugala and Gurmeet Singh.
Funding: No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript. No funding was received for conducting this study. No funds, grants or other support were received.
Conflict of interest: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article. All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article.
Citation
Kona, S.S., Dugala, N.S. and Singh, G. (2024), "Validation of erosion wear models for a stainless steel automobile exhaust manifold", World Journal of Engineering, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJE-03-2024-0146
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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