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Car Muffler Types & Functions

For those who don't know what a muffler is, it is usually a simple set of tubes with some holes in them. This device, also known as "silencer," is designed to minimize the noise from the exhaust of an internal-combustion engine. If you've ever heard a car engine running without a muffler, you would know what a huge difference a muffler can make to the level of noise.

Car mufflers are typically installed along the exhaust pipe and have baffles to bounce the exhaust around, dissipating the energy and quieting the noise. Typically, a muffler consists of a tubular metal jacket containing pipes and chambers through which the gas emissions flow before going to the atmosphere. Some mufflers also use fiberglass packing that absorbs the sound energy as the gases flow through.

Nowadays, you can find different types of car muffler in which frequencies in exhaust gases are tuned, making the sound that leaves the vehicle be at a desired noise level. Below are the common types of car muffler and how each of them functions:

Absorption. Designed by performance muffler manufacturers, this type of car muffler gives the least resistance to the exhaust gases that pass through. It is commonly made up of a straight perforated tube that is wrapped in sound deadening material.

Diffusion. It is a muffler that splits the flow of the exhaust gases up into a series of different paths using a series of plates and tubes called baffles. These baffles cause the exhaust gas pass a longer path when passing through the muffler. As a result, several sound frequencies are diffused.

Resonator. Also known as cancellation muffler, this type of mufler can be found in some cars, especially luxury cars, where quiet operation is a key feature. It is designed to produce a specific volume and length of noise. As the noises in the exhaust gases enter on one end, a resonant frequency is established in the chamber that makes all other noises at that specific frequency to be eradicated.

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