Injen Air Intake Systems
InjenTechnology Cold Intake systems come in many different styles and primarily constructed from metal, rubber (silicone) or composite materials (fiberglass, carbon fiber or Kevlar). The most efficient intake systems utilize an airbox which is sized to complement the engine and will extend the powerband of the engine. The intake snorkel (opening for the intake air to enter the system) must be large enough to ensure sufficient cold air is available to the engine under all conditions from idle to full throttle. Under some conditions intake system efficiency can be lost if the intake opening for the airbox is too large.
The most basic cold air intake replaces the stock airbox with a short metal or aluminum tube leading to a conical air filter, called a short ram air intake. The power gained by this method can vary depending on how restrictive the factory airbox is. The placement of the filter is usually directly in the engine compartment. The overall benefits depend on the specific application. Injen makes several short ram intakes to fit most popular cars. Power may be lost at certain engine speeds, and gained at others. Because of the increased airflow and reduced covering, cold intake noise is usually increased. This effect is usually amplified on applications where a resonator, a part intended to reduce cold intake noise on some vehicles, is replaced by the intake.
Well designed cold air intakes use heat shields to isolate the air filter from the rest of the engine compartment, providing cooler air from the front or side of the engine bay. Injen's deverlopment team spends many hours fine tuning their intakes before they go to market. Some systems called "fender mount" move the filter into the fender wall, this system draws cold air up through the fender wall from below the car, which provides even more isolation and still cooler air. Carbon fiber can be used for the piping instead of metal, reducing weight and insulating the cold air from the engine bay in some cases. Carbon fiber and other advanced composites (such as Kevlar) are expensive, and can be more aesthetic rather than functional.
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