A lot of us own a car, however for some it’s not just a simple form of commuting but also a form of expression, a way to spend free time and a relaxing escape after a hard day.

In order for the car to suit better and be a reflection of ourselves, we can change the body colour, add stickers or modify body elements such as bumpers and other external parts, however this is not the only way. A lot of car enthusiasts take it a step further and modify not only what is visible on the outside but also the inside of the car.

Let’s begin with two things, a car engine can either be a naturally aspirated engine or a charged one, be it supercharged or turbocharged in order to gain additional power for better performance, making the car more powerful or more efficient. Adding a turbocharger or a supercharger to your car is not the only element that has to be considered to gain the sought after performance or efficiency, there are other vital components that come into play that need to be implemented in order for everything to work properly.

¹Fuel injectors – Self explanatory, they are responsible for spraying a set amount of fuel directly into the combustion chamber and if you want to increase the power of an engine, you also have to increase the flow rate of the fuel injectors.

²Fuel pump – Directly tied in with the injectors, you also need a more powerful pump to supply the fuel injectors with enough fuel needed for an optimal combustion, and with this you also have to consider bigger fuel lines to carry that fuel along.

In order for your engine not to overheat and achieve the optimal air to fuel ratio, you also need to have a good cooling system.

Intercooler – Directly responsible for cooling the air that goes into your turbocharger. You may need a bigger size intercooler in order to handle a more powerful engine.

³Fan – Blows ambient air at the car radiator to make sure that the coolant doesn’t overheat.

⁴Air intake – The air intake sucks up air and forces it through the throttle body which in turn is responsible for supplying the right amount of air mixture to the engine.

⁵Air intake manifold – This directs the air into the intake valve which allows the air to pass through into the combustion chamber at a specific moment.

⁶Cylinders – This component is responsible for compressing the gasses inside the combustion chamber during a cycle in order to obtain energy.

⁷Exhaust manifold – Similarly to the intake manifold, it also used to move gasses, however this time it is responsible for directing the exhaust gasses released by the exhaust valves from the combustion chamber into the exhaust system.

⁸Exhaust muffler – Responsible for dampening the noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Commonly in sports cars, the muffler is weaker or non-existent in order to provide a more aggressive, sporty tone.

⁹Brake calipers and discs – Both components work hand in hand in order to slow the car down. The calipers squeeze the brake pads against the discs.

¹⁰Suspension – The suspension is one of the components that help to keep the car on the road. In sports cars, the suspension tends to be stiff which in turn makes it uncomfortable during normal use.

¹¹Shock absorbers – This component works alongside the suspension to dampen and neutralize the vibrations caused by the road surface.

Tyres – Tyres are essentially the only part of the car that has contact with the ground, meaning that in order to achieve good performance, it is vital to ensure good quality and width of the tyre.

¹²Rims – This component fixes the tyres to the vehicle but can also play a role in performance. In order to boost the car’s performance, you can opt for a lighter rim.

Aerodynamics also play a big part in car efficiency and performance and there are some components that can help with this.

¹³Front splitter and rear diffusers – Additions to the front and rear bumpers of the car, they improve looks and aerodynamic properties of the car.

¹⁴Spoiler – A spoiler improves the aerodynamic properties of a car and help the car achieve higher traction by pushing the car down with increasing speed.

It is also important to remember that all of the components are managed by the ECU (Engine Control Unit). The ECU is responsible for sending out instructions to connected components to achieve things from the correct fuel amount to controlling the amount of pressure a ¹⁵brake caliper applies to break effectively.

WORDBANK:

¹Fuel injectors – wtryskiwacze paliwa
²Fuel pump – pompa paliwa
³Fan – wiatrak
⁴Air intake – wlot powietrza do silnika
⁵Air intake manifold – kolektor ssący
⁶Cylinders – cylindry
⁷Exhaust manifold – kolektor wydechowy
⁸Exhaust muffler – tłumik
⁹Brake calipers and discs – zaciski hamulcowe
¹⁰Suspension – zawieszenie
¹¹Shock absorbers – amortyzatory
¹²Rims – felgi

¹³Front splitter – spoiler zderzaka przedniego

¹⁴Spoiler – dodatkowa owiewka, spojler, skrzydła nadwozia,
¹⁵Brake caliper – zacisk hamulca

2022/2023 © Paweł Chwiałkowski, III rok, Mechanika i Budowa Maszyn, Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Koninie