Engine Fundamentals

Air Density

Induction

RAM Air / Intakes

When an engine sucks in air through an inlet, it creates a partial vacuum where the density of the air flowing through the induction plumbing into the engine is lower than the density of the air outside the inlet, which reduces the power of the engine. Some inlet designs are optimized to leverage RAM air at speed to increase the pressure/density of air inside the induction plumbing, like a mini-turbocharger and boost the power of the engine at higher airspeeds.