How turbo, superchargers work

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So many times we see cars on the road or the spec sheets with so many descriptions and variations that we do not understand. Most people look at simple things like the colour, general engine size and infotainment. In this issue I am going to help someone understand the terms turbocharger and supercharger on car engines.
Superchargers pressurise air intake to above atmospheric pressure. How is this different from what a turbocharger does? Well, as you read on you will see the differences.
Let’s start with the similarities. Both turbochargers and superchargers are called forced induction systems. They compress the air flowing into the engine­. The advantage of compressing the air is that it lets the engine stuff more air into a cylinder. More air means that more fuel can be stuffed in, too, so you get more power from each explosion in each cylinder. A turbo/supercharged engine produces more power overall than the same engine without the charging.­
The typical boost provided by either a turbocharger or a supercharger is six to eight pounds per square inch (psi). Since normal atmospheric pressure is 14,7 psi at sea level, you can see that you are getting about 50 percent more air into the engine.
Therefore, you would expect to get 50 percent more power. It’s not perfectly efficient, though, so you might get a 30 percent to 40 percent improvement instead. ­
The key difference between a turbocharger and a supercharger is its power supply. Something has to supply the power to run the air compressor. In a supercharger like on the Jaguar XFR which is a 5-litre V8, there is a belt that connects directly to the engine.
It gets its power the same way that the water pump or alternator does. A turbocharger, on the other hand, gets its power from the exhaust stream. The exhaust runs through a turbine, which in turn spins the compressor .
There are trade-offs in both systems. In theory, a turbocharger is more efficient because it is using the “wasted” energy in the exhaust stream for its power source. On the other hand, a turbocharger causes some amount of back pressure in the exhaust system and tends to provide less boost until the engine is running at higher RPMs. Superchargers are easier to install but tend to be more expensive. When people talk about race cars or high-performance sports cars, the topic of turbochargers usually comes up. Turbochargers also appear on large diesel engines. A turbo can significantly boost an engine’s horsepower without significantly increasing its weight, which is the huge benefit that makes turbos so popular! So if you are into car racing, drifting, consider this for greater performance.
I am going to explain how a turbocharger increases the power output of an engine while surviving extreme operating conditions. You’ll also learn how wastegates, ceramic turbine blades and ball bearings help turbochargers do their job even better. I didn’t know all this until I thought let me research about it. Turbochargers are a type of forced induction system as we said earlier when we were comparing with the supercharger.
They compress the air flowing into the engine. The advantage of compressing the air is that it lets the engine squeeze more air into a cylinder, and more air means that more fuel can be added. Therefore, you get more power from each explosion in each cylinder as I have highlighted above. A turbocharged engine produces more power overall than the same engine without the charging. This can significantly improve the power-to-weight ratio for the engine.
The turbine in the turbocharger spins at speeds of up to 150 000 rotations per minute (rpm) that’s about 30 times faster than most car engines can go. And since it is hooked up to the exhaust, the temperatures in the turbine are also very high. So the next time you read a spec sheet which says turbo charged or supercharged you have a good idea as to how the engine works. Till next week keep it pumping and be safe. God bless you.
l Fact Jeke is an auto enthusiast with over a decade experience. She has written for several regional publications, attended many auto trade shows around the globe. You can contact her on email: [email protected] or via Facebook: Torque with Fact Jeke.