"All About Compression" by Toda - Boost + NA

[dsp26]

Firstly, i think this tidbit of info should help alot of you....
Secondly i take no credit for it. It was sourced directly from:
http://www.hondahookup.com/forums/ar...p/t-21090.html

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I'm going to write the intro but Ryan Autry (http://www.hondahookup.com/phpBB2/pr...ile&u=9389) wrote a great tid bit about boost and compression ratio

I'm going to quote

http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuel..._3_rf.htm#SUB3

for the defnition

COMPRESSION RATIO
An important parameter of an engine is its compression ratio. This is defined as the ratio of the volume of the cylinder at the beginning of the compression stroke (when the piston is at BDC) to the volume of the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke (when the piston is at TDC). The higher the compression ratio, the higher the air temperature in the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke. Higher compression ratios, to a point, lead to higher thermal efficiencies and better fuel economies. Diesel engines need high compression ratios to generate the high temperatures required for fuel autoignition. In contrast, gasoline engines use lower compression ratios in order to avoid fuel autoignition, which manifests itself as engine knock, often heard as a pinging sound.



In layman's terms, Compression Ratio is a comparison. It compares the amount of volume in the cylinder at 2 points.

BDC, or bottom dead center, is the lowest point the piston reaches in its stroke (up and down motion).

TDC, or top dead center, is the pistons highest point it reaches in the cycle.

So, for instance, a compression ratio that states 10:1 means that at BDC, there are 10 units of volume in the cylinder, and at TDC, that volume is compressed to 1 unit.

As the defnition states, high compression ratios help motors make power. But, with gasoline, there is a point in which air and fuel will ignite spontaneously. This is called knock, pinging, or detonation. Detonation can destroy pistons, bend or break rods, destroy valves, and give you a really big headache.

To actually calculate compression ratio is very difficult, unless you know specifically all the measurements of your motor.

I don't know the formula off the top of my head. Sport Compact Car had an article written by Dave Coleman in last month's issue that had the formula in it.

I'll write down the formula later.

That's it for now, i gotta go. More to come, and im sure other people will have much to add onto this.


So, here is Ryan Autry's blurb with FI and CR.
FYI: Effective CR is also referred to as Dynamic CR.

One main concern in power production with forced induction is effective compression. Effective compression is the sum of the motors static compression, plus the additional compression added by the forced induction tool. A B18C1 (also B16A) motor will have a higher effective compression than a B18B motor will, on the same boost...therefore, pound for pound, it will make more power.

The next argument that people usually bring up is that a higher compression is bad for turbocharging. Well, if you understand the concept of effective compression, then you should understand that this statement is entirely incorrect. A higher compression engine makes more power in NA form. So, why do you turbo guys think that a lower compression turbo motor makes more power? Does that make any sense when you really think about it? A turbocharger is a power adder? So why deplete power that was there to begin with? The answer I usually get to that is "So I can run more boost!" Well, sorry to rain on your parade, but more boost does not always equal more power. Check out this mathematical example of effective compression:

A motor with a 10.0:1 static CR boosting 10psi
10psi/14.7psi = .68
.68 + 1 = 1.68
1.68 x 10 = 16.8 effective CR

A motor with an 8.5:1 static CR boosting 10psi
10psi/14.7psi = .68
.68 + 1 = 1.68
1.68 x 8.5 = 14.28 effective CR

Now tell me who is going to make more power? The higher CR motor, or the lower CR motor?

So, maybe add more boost to the lower CR motor, right? Wrong...

A motor with an 8.5:1 static CR boosting 13psi
13psi/14.7psi = .88
.88 + 1 = 1.88
1.88 x 8.5 = 15.98 effective CR

Now you see, even adding 3psi of boost, still does not equal the effective CR of the higher compression, lower boost motor.

Effective compression is not the only advantage of the B16A/B18C1 either. The B16A/B18C1 has a stronger, better flowing cylinder head. It can rev much higher, making it that much more effective, and it flows great to handle all of the extra volume. The block has oil squirters to help support the bottom end assembly at high RPM. It takes more than a valvetrain upgrade to make a B18B safe at 8k. The higher compression also aids in spooling the turbo faster too.

Both motors have similar tolerances though. Both motors pretty much top out at around 350-400hp on stock motors, very well tuned. The B18C1 will make it far more efficiently for you though. It takes less boost to do so, it has more safeguards...and the bottom line on any Honda motor is tuning. If it is well tuned, you will be set. That goes for both motors. YOU ARE A FOOL if you think for one second that just because your B18B has a lower compression, you can substitute that for proper tuning.

A lot of people like to lower their motors compression when they build their motor. I used to think it was a good idea before I understood about tuning, and the positive aspects of compression. In the mathematical representation below, I will show you how a low compression motor must boost more to equal the output of a higher compression, lower boost motor:

Motor: stock B16A2 boosting 7psi.
Static Compression Ratio: 10.4:1

((boost psi / 14.7) + 1) x motor compression = effective compression

Stock motor (10.4:1 CR) on 7psi:
7psi/14.7psi = .47
.47 + 1 = 1.47
1.47 x 10.4 = 15.288 effective CR

Built motor (9.0:1 CR) on 7psi:
7psi/14.7psi = .47
.47 + 1 = 1.47
1.47 x 9 = 13.23 effective CR

You will lose 2.058 points from your effective compression ratio, this translates to a significant power loss.

In order to gain back that power, you have to do this:

Built motor (9.0:1 CR) on 10.5psi:
10.5psi/14.7psi = .71
.71 + 1 = 1.71
1.71 x 9 = 15.39 effective CR

Add 3.5psi to what you were boosting before, and you should be able to make around the same power as before, granted you haven't done any other kinds of modifications port/polish, cams, etc...

As you can see, considering all things stay equal (bore/stroke/cylinder head/etc...), you must add 3.5psi to make the motors perform similarly. You just spent about $2,500 to build your bottom end, and make your car slow.

By now we all should understand the positive aspects of compression, and how when teamed with the faster spoolng turbo, more efficient output, better flowing B-series VTEC cylinder heads, better low end spool time, stock oil squirters, higher redline, etc...you should see that turbocharging B-series VTEC motors is clearly not dangerous, and highly adviseable. I love a good turbo B16A!

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