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How do Turbos and Superchargers work?

A

Accipiter22

Banned
anyone?


It's based on capturing the exhaust...that's about as far as my knowledge goes...anyone have a link to an explanation for how they work, or can provide a decent explanation
 
Neither capture exhaust, Turbos are driven by a vane that is spun by exhaust gases.

Turbochargers are powered by exhaust gases, superchargers are powered by the engine via belt(s) and there are some new ones out that are electrically powered.

They both work by compressing air before it gets into the combustion chamber thereby making it more powerful. It helps to visualize this if you look at a combustion engine as nothing more than an air pump. The more air that flows through an engine, the more powerful it is. In the older days, this was accomplished by making the engines bigger.

Technology has allowed more air to flow through smaller engines via multiple valves, variable timing, etc.
 
Originally posted by: Accipiter22
anyone?


It's based on capturing the exhaust...that's about as far as my knowledge goes...anyone have a link to an explanation for how they work, or can provide a decent explanation
Click to expand...

Turbos work by using the exhaust to power it. Superchargers have a seperate motor to compress the air. As far as the specifics of what each does and when to use it, yur gonna have to wait.
 
Both work by pressurizing the air which is then combusted with fuel. Turbochargers pressurize by having a turbine which is spun by the exhaust. So turbos can only kick in once the exhaust gases are strong enough to spin it quite fast, meaning that at lower RPMs they don't work so well, this is known as turbo lag.

Superchargers pressurize the incoming air by a belt-driven turbine. So, unlike the turbocharger, it can pressurize the air at lower RPM. The downside is that you rob power from the engine because now it was to spin the supercharger on top of it's normal duties.

This is very simplified, but you get the gist.
 
Pressurized air means more oxygen molecules per unit volume. More oxygen means more fuel can be burned. More fuel burned means more power. Basically, the more air flowing through an engine, the more fuel it can burn. By forcing more air into the engine, superchargers (technically turbos are a sub-species of supercharger) allow more fuel to be burned.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Pressurized air means more oxygen molecules per unit volume. More oxygen means more fuel can be burned. More fuel burned means more power. Basically, the more air flowing through an engine, the more fuel it can burn. By forcing more air into the engine, superchargers (technically turbos are a sub-species of supercharger) allow more fuel to be burned.

ZV
Click to expand...

Dumb question - but doesn't more air (via compression from a turbo/supercharger) mean more fuel can be put into the cylinder as well - keeping the proper fuel/air ratio?

I guess my question...it isn't necessarily more air as it is more air/fuel?
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Pressurized air means more oxygen molecules per unit volume. More oxygen means more fuel can be burned. More fuel burned means more power. Basically, the more air flowing through an engine, the more fuel it can burn. By forcing more air into the engine, superchargers (technically turbos are a sub-species of supercharger) allow more fuel to be burned.

ZV
Click to expand...

Dumb question - but doesn't more air (via compression from a turbo/supercharger) mean more fuel can be put into the cylinder as well - keeping the proper fuel/air ratio?

I guess my question...it isn't necessarily more air as it is more air/fuel?
Click to expand...

That's why turbo/supercharged engines that aren't properly tuned run like sh!t. You need to adjust the fuel output/timing as well.
 
Not just more fuel a lot more fuel. Compressing the air creates heat, heat creats detonation, detonation creates engine damage. The fuel helps cool the air as does the intercooler so they run rich.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Pressurized air means more oxygen molecules per unit volume. More oxygen means more fuel can be burned. More fuel burned means more power. Basically, the more air flowing through an engine, the more fuel it can burn. By forcing more air into the engine, superchargers (technically turbos are a sub-species of supercharger) allow more fuel to be burned.

ZV
Click to expand...

Dumb question - but doesn't more air (via compression from a turbo/supercharger) mean more fuel can be put into the cylinder as well - keeping the proper fuel/air ratio?

I guess my question...it isn't necessarily more air as it is more air/fuel?
Click to expand...
Yep. Not enough fuel and it goes too lean.
 
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Not just more fuel a lot more fuel. Compressing the air creates heat, heat creats detonation, detonation creates engine damage. The fuel helps cool the air as does the intercooler so they run rich.
Click to expand...
That's why most of the better setups use intercoolers. Some even use water injection to increase boost past the regular detonation limit.
 
Originally posted by: Howard
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Not just more fuel a lot more fuel. Compressing the air creates heat, heat creats detonation, detonation creates engine damage. The fuel helps cool the air as does the intercooler so they run rich.
Click to expand...
That's why most of the better setups use intercoolers. Some even use water injection to increase boost past the regular detonation limit.
Click to expand...
And why I notice my car runs stronger in the rain😉
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Pressurized air means more oxygen molecules per unit volume. More oxygen means more fuel can be burned. More fuel burned means more power. Basically, the more air flowing through an engine, the more fuel it can burn. By forcing more air into the engine, superchargers (technically turbos are a sub-species of supercharger) allow more fuel to be burned.

ZV
Click to expand...
Dumb question - but doesn't more air (via compression from a turbo/supercharger) mean more fuel can be put into the cylinder as well - keeping the proper fuel/air ratio?

I guess my question...it isn't necessarily more air as it is more air/fuel?
Click to expand...
That's what I said. More air means more fuel can be burned.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Pressurized air means more oxygen molecules per unit volume. More oxygen means more fuel can be burned. More fuel burned means more power. Basically, the more air flowing through an engine, the more fuel it can burn. By forcing more air into the engine, superchargers (technically turbos are a sub-species of supercharger) allow more fuel to be burned.

ZV
Click to expand...
Dumb question - but doesn't more air (via compression from a turbo/supercharger) mean more fuel can be put into the cylinder as well - keeping the proper fuel/air ratio?

I guess my question...it isn't necessarily more air as it is more air/fuel?
Click to expand...
That's what I said. More air means more fuel can be burned.

ZV
Click to expand...

Thanks. Just needed the clarification and have it beat over my head a few more times.
😉
 
Originally posted by: jemcam
Neither capture exhaust, Turbos are driven by a vane that is spun by exhaust gases.

Turbochargers are powered by exhaust gases, superchargers are powered by the engine via belt(s) and there are some new ones out that are electrically powered.

They both work by compressing air before it gets into the combustion chamber thereby making it more powerful. It helps to visualize this if you look at a combustion engine as nothing more than an air pump. The more air that flows through an engine, the more powerful it is. In the older days, this was accomplished by making the engines bigger.

Technology has allowed more air to flow through smaller engines via multiple valves, variable timing, etc.
Click to expand...

When were these older days? DOHC and superchargers are atleast 80 years old.
 
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