Design - Fabrication - Restoration
East Sussex
Laminar Flow Ring
Would you like to improve your engines performance? This may the what you are looking for.
The laminar flow ring:
• Increases Performance
• Increases Rate of Climb
• Improves starting and shutdown
• Smoother running, I cannot state this enough!
• Even out Cylinder Head Temperature
• Stabilises Max Static RPM
Mk1 intake ring
This one was epoxy bonded haphazardly on specific edges. The MK2 is uniformly bonded.
My Menestrel has a convoluted intake geometry owing to space issues we all encounter within aircraft cowlings. As a result engine intake airflow is drawn through various tight curves and past edges causing significant turbulence of the flow into the carburettor, which in turn lowers engine performance through uneven quantities and velocitities of mixture being distributed to the cylinders. Many builders have added vanes and crosses in the attempt to smooth flows, but results are generally poor.
Though undesirable, geometries such as this are sometime unavoidable. My intake rings nullify all ill affects of this system.
I have developed what I have called the LF Ring to solve this. It utilities an aluminium alloy pentagonal lattice which, simply put, has remarkable abilities to straighten and redirect airflow. I machine up a solid grooved ring to bond the lattice into, and once bonded the through bore is the same ID as the original silicone hose it is pushed into. It has tapered inner edges to facilitate the flow through, and the thickness means the hose retains the ring in place without clamping.
This is placed as close to the carburettor as possible, on my installation as you can see, it buts against the mounting flange on the carb face.
This system could be used in scat hosing, but it would restrict flow as scat can not stretch to take a nominal bore ring, and scat is not ideal for intakes as the wire and roughness influence flow considerably as well as the interior crumpling through bends. It is possible for me to bond this into a particularly shaped resin surround, such as for square intakes as found in car manifolds.
Results when installed on a VW Powered Menestrel
The affects this had on my aircraft where astonishing and I don't say this lightly;
• Startup required less prime, and once started cold idle was disturbingly smooth.
• The classic VW wide open throttle advance stutter and lag was gone. Straight to full power.
• CHT's had evened out from a range of 90 degrees to 25 degrees in cruise.
• Rate of climb increased by 150ft/min
• The smoothness of the engine had me wondering if it was even running several times through the flight. I thought it was smooth before but after it felt like it was electrically powered.
• Shut down had no run on which was frequently a problem on our VW.
The Laminar Flow Ring has been installed on a Sport Cruiser and a 6 cylinder Jabiru.
Beforehand, The Jabiru had unstable top end static rpm. Ground runs have demonstrated this as instantly cured, further updates once the aircraft flies again.
The Sport Cruiser is still awaiting flight test.
If you are interested in this part, I can manufacture and provide for your intake sizing, it will be in the post within a day or two.
Contact me and order your Laminar Flow Ring.