Every car has an exhaust system. However, you will be surprised to know that this component is more complex and important than many people imagine. In this article, you will learn what its function is, its parts and what are the gases that come out of the exhaust pipe.



How an exhaust pipe works and why it cannot be missing

An engine is capable of generating power through the combustion cycle. During this cycle, waste is generated that must escape from the cylinders. So the  parts of an exhaust pipe in a car  extract these gases and expel them to the outside. This, in addition to reducing noise from the engine. Additionally, while the gases travel through the exhaust pipe, the polluting emissions are filtered. A car can generate 173.16 grams of CO2 in a cycle of normal urban driving conditions. Taking this into account, a vehicle would generate much more pollution if it did not have an exhaust pipe. In addition, without this component, the engine cylinders would expel these gases very quickly, causing the engine to heat up and have a lower fuel efficiency .


Parts of a car's exhaust pipe and their functions

This component has a fairly elaborate mechanism.Each of the parts of the exhaust pipe in working order are as follows:


1. Exhaust manifold

This is the first of the  parts of a car's exhaust pipe. It is a set of tubes that obtain the gases from the engine. These work at high temperatures and are designed to extract gases without generating turbulence.


2. Catalyst

This part reduces harmful emissions through chemical reactions. According to the CEUPE (European Postgraduate Center), it has a ceramic piece with layers of “platinum, palladium and rhodium”. These materials oxidize gases to convert them into other that are not toxic. In addition, its structure protects the lower part of the car from the high temperatures reached by gases.


3. Particulate Filter

Diesel engines   use, in addition to the catalyst, a particle filter that helps to convert toxic gases into non-polluting ones.


4. Lambda probe

It is a sensor that measures the concentration of oxygen present in waste gases. With these data, the vehicle can vary the mixture of fuel and air so that it is optimal and pollutes less.


5. Muffler

It has a chamber with tubes that allow it to reflect the sound waves generated by the engine. Also, when gases pass through it, they expand and lose pressure. This reduces noise from combustion cycles.


6. Intermediate Tubes

Each of the aforementioned components are connected by intermediate tubes. These allow gases to pass through them and also resist high temperatures.


7. Tail

This is the end of the tube that you can see at the end of the vehicle and from where the  smoke produced by combustion comes out .


Gases coming out of the exhaust pipe

The exhaust pipe of a vehicle can emit carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, nitrogen oxide and other substances. However, thanks to the catalyst, the emission of very dangerous gases, such as carbon monoxide (CO), is reduced. The latter can be expelled if your exhaust system is in poor condition. Also, some exhaust pipes can generate more gases depending on the condition of the car's engine. Some even emit blue smoke, evidence that the engine is burning oil excessively. Now that you know  how an exhaust pipe works , you know how important it is. At  Derco  we will be willing to advise you so that your car's exhaust system is always in optimal condition.

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