How Turbochargers Work

If you want to increase the horsepower of your car exclusive of introducing any strong changes to the cylinders or engine block you can do it all with the help of a turbocharger. Turbochargers make use of an exhaust-driven turbine compressor system that brings more air in the cylinder that causes further whole burning of the existing fuel. And finally it produces significantly more horsepower.

Naturally Aspirated Engines:

In the majority scenarios internal combustion engines employ the intake stroke of the piston to produce a partial vacuum over the piston, which brings ambient air pressure to drive air and fuel into the cylinder. The air and fuel mixture burns to produce the energy that causes the piston to be pushed down on the combustion stroke. As this atmospheric pressure can force so much air into the cylinder, an upper limit has been set there to its efficiency and as a result the horsepower is acquired by natural aspiration.

Turbocharged Engines:

Mostly a turbocharged engine employs a compressor linked to an exhaust driven turbine. The gases (hot exhausted) flowing over the turbine makes it spinning, as a result the compressor is droved through their usual axle. After that compressor grasp more air into the cylinder’s intake valve. This increased air to burn fuel causes to augment the energy to push the piston down on the combustion stroke, thus increase the horsepower as well.

Although it may also bring over-stressing the cylinder head by forcing too much air in the cylinder. To deal with this phenomenon, a valve called a “waste gate” is used to control the intake pressure which takes away exhaust gases from the turbocharger in order to calm down its increase as well save the engine from overpressure.

Turbochargers vs. Superchargers:

Standard superchargers are available there that usually work in the similar approach and use compressor to bring more pressurized air into the cylinder for developing the engine’s overall efficiency. This way to increase horsepower is known as “forced induction. On the other hand, Superchargers makes use of engine’s crankshaft to produce force rather than the exhaust which reduces energy gain by reason of friction loss. Although turbochargers utilize heat energy from the exhaust gas, that could waste to generate extra horsepower exclusive of causing friction loss.

The Myth of “Free Energy”:

It is considered that using this free energy means that turbochargers acquire their additional horsepower for free. Regrettably, it is not the case, as when this energy is used to rotate the turbine wheel, it comes across the resistance from back pressure, and the engine has to work to beat it. This results in more gained efficiency.

Although turbochargers are more efficient and useful as compare to superchargers, where superchargers return more energy produced by the engine as a result of friction loss, which can be considered as a part of the engine’s overall performance