Chrysler in the 50's was the first to apply ram theory to automobiles. When it caught on, others copied it including Ford's venerated Mustang Shelby GT350, Shelby GT500KR (King of the Road), GT500, Mach 1 (4valve/cylinder Quadrajet) , Boss351 Cleveland, and the Boss 429.
Ram theory as it applies to our case in Integras has nothing to do with fluid dynamics. It has nothing to do with how the air is "stuffed" in at the opening of an intake. This is how most people "understand" ram air.
It has to do with sound wave resonance theory (ie. tuning fork) and not liquid or fluid dynamics theory.
Fluid what theory?:
Sometimes air flow as a gas may be studied in terms of it's shared properties with liquids or fluids. Air has compressible and elastic properties like a fluid.
At other times air is studied in terms of it's common properties that it shares with sound waves.
Ram theory has to do with resonance frequency sound theory not fluid dynamics theory.
It deals with how you can increase the "energy" or momentum of air flow, so that it fills the cylinder more completely...sometimes to greater than 100% volumetric efficiency.
In Integras, we use ram theory not at the intake alone like the domestics but instead at the IM.
Our IM design is called a "closed single plenum" system design.
It uses the energy of reflected air waves bouncing off the closed intake valves and amplifying their energy (amplitude, volume) in the IM plenum, when the engine is in the other 3 strokes (compression, combustion, exhaust strokes. So when the intake valves do open on the intake stroke, a reflected amplified air wave returns from the IM plenum to the intake port just at the right time to overfill the cylinder (at a particular rpm). This is where your peak torque is located along your rpm range. When you get the highest cylinder filling, it results in the greatest torque being produced.
If you want to do more reading, use your web browser's search engine and enter the terms "Helmholtz resonator" and "intake manifold". You'll find that this ram theory is also used for stereo speakers and amplified electronic instruments.
