Reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) are widely used as heat engines for converting the chemical energy of a fuel into mechanical work on the crankshaft. Aerodynamic and thermophysical processes in gas exchange systems significantly affect the efficiency of the RICE. This paper examines the possibility of influencing the gas dynamics and heat transfer of pulsating gas flows in the inlet system by placing a channel with grooves. It is known that the presence of grooves in the channel leads to the formation of significant secondary vortices, which radically change the physical picture of the gas flow. The studies were carried out on a laboratory bench, which was a single-cylinder model of a turbocharged RICE. A system of measurements of basic physical quantities is described, taking into account their high dynamics. Techniques for processing experimental data are presented. Primary data on instantaneous values of gas-dynamic and heat-exchange characteristics of pulsating flows are presented. It was found that the presence of a channel with grooves in the inlet system leads to a decrease in the degree of turbulence to 40 % and an intensification of heat transfer in the range of 5-50 % compared to the basic inlet system. A positive effect is shown in the form of an increase in engine power by 3 % when using the modernized system.