Lawnmower Tuning

Project Overview: For this project, we were assigned to purchase a seated lawnmower in groups of 5 to 8 students. Our task was to enhance engine power, fuel economy, and emission reduction. We initiated the project with a baseline measurement conducted using a dynamometer, which provided a reference point and insights into the current state of our engine.

Modifications and Improvements: We were permitted to modify the intake manifold and exhaust system. Additionally, we received an ECU package including all necessary sensors, as sponsorship. Based on computational airflow simulations, we designed a new intake and exhaust system. Following this, we installed all sensors in place to facilitate early-stage testing. Subsequently, we mapped our new ECU with the correct mixture of fuel and air and appropriate pre-ignition values.

Challenges and Learnings: Unfortunately, we did not allocate sufficient attention to our drive line, resulting in an inability to retrieve comparable data after the second run on the dynamometer. Despite this setback, the project was incredibly diverse and educational. We learned how to create our own wire harness, design and substantiate intake manifolds and exhaust systems, and correctly map an ECU.