Timing is Everything

Inertia supercharging is a process to maximize the volume of air trapped in the cylinder for combustion by precisely timing and delivering the proper charge of air. This phenomenon takes advantage of the natural dynamic effects and inertia of the air during the intake cycle.

When the intake valve closes, a fast moving high-pressure pulse will hit the valve and bounce back in the intake system. By measuring the intake flow rate and precision machine finishing of the intake tract the returning pulse can be timed to arrive just when the valve opens for the next event cycle, filling the cylinder with an additional charge of air that is pulled along. Since the air column has inertia created by its reversion back from its original collision with the closed valve, it's called "inertia supercharging."

On a normally aspirated engine, the inertia supercharging effect is the only means to increase volumetric efficiency to more than 100 percent. When this occurs, the manifold is said to be resonating or tuning. RPM, cubic inch displacement, and air flow are related factors that are evaluated to help determine proper engine performance and horsepower which contribute to the inertia supercharging effect. By maximizing the kinetic energy of the air flow into the cylinders with the inertia supercharging effect, the volumetric efficiency is improved and also engine power.