Superchargers vs turbo essay
09-01-2008, 08:09 PM
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Superchargers vs turbo essay well i am not meaning to make this a bible to forced induction mind you and i am severly biast towards the turbo and furthermore i am writing to a audience that considers writing more important than cars but here is my rough draft for my first composition class. thought a few of you might get a kick out of it.
Superchargers in comparison to turbochargers.
In the industry of fast paced developing and technological advances, many automobile manufacturers are looking for more efficient means of supplying the consumer with the affordable supercar. Developments have always been time consuming and expensive up to the recent. The ever more present forced induction on vehicles is helping catapult daily commuters into trailblazing supercars with economy that can fit many consumer budgets. Two major options lie with contradicting qualities, the supercharger and the turbocharger.
Both the supercharger and turbocharger where originally developed for uses outside the automotive industry. Superchargers such as the commonly found roots type was developed to pump air into mine shafts to ventilate workers. This was an inefficient system that required too large a supercharger to do enough ventilation but shows the initial design was based on what we use it for today. The turbo was developed for air use. Developed for fighter planes to help bring them to speeds higher than any other plane and stay consistent with atmospheric changes. This design is again an instance where the original design is still in use today, power adder.
To better understand the two systems commonly used I think it is important to explain what they both try to achieve, boost. Boost is pressure above atmospheric and as effective in making horsepower and speed as the adrenal gland in the human body. Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi at sea level. This means that every inch you go above sea level you lose atmospheric pressure. Each pound of air pressure helps the internal combustion engine fill the cylinders with air and fuel required to make power. This can lead to drastic changes for some vehicles. Driving up from say Orlando to Denver you experience altitude changes that an engine without these systems, referred to as naturally aspirated, will lose upwards fifty percent power levels from the lack of air entering the engine.
Along with the required knowledge of boost pressure a basic understanding of how both of these systems work is required. A supercharger is a belt driven air pump driven by the engine crankshaft. This turning can require large amounts of power just to turn the supercharger. Certain vehicles can see 150 horsepower losses from just turning the pulley that drives the supercharger. A turbo charger is driven by spent exhaust gasses. As the exhaust gas enters the snail shell shaped housing vertically it passes a precisely designed wheel it spins it until it exits laterally. This uses the heat and velocity from the spent exhaust gases exiting the engine that would naturally exit the exhaust unused. From this aspect you can see that the turbo creates significantly less parasitic drag on the engine and uses an almost free energy design.
With both systems having both good and bad qualities you may be wondering what is the better of the two and which will supersede the other. The question really goes answered by another question. What is it you are looking for? While efficiency for the turbo remains the foundation for its long lasting support, the instant gratification of a supercharger goes without notice.
With the supercharger having a large gear reduction and a constant drive source it is capable of producing instant boost pressures that allow quick acceleration. This is the theory behind a drag racers soul, instant power through the whole power curve. Only problem with this is the faster the supercharger spins the more boost it produces so you still have a low boost take off with a almost sine wave boost line during up shifts and rpm changes. Not a good quality to look for when trying to stay consistent.
The turbocharger also has a low rpm “lag”. This means that until you can really get a turbo spinning you are not really going anywhere. When the turbo starts to spin near spooling point, the point at which boost is produced, it is a self feeding nature. Different components are used to help keep this in control. This turbo lag is what most people remain hung over on to why the turbocharger is inferior. Recent developments such as ceramic ball bearing, anti surge housings, and blow off valves allow the turbo not only to spool almost instantly but remain spooling during shifts.
The other problematic factor in both systems is heat. Heat is the enemy of all engine components. Compressing air causes high levels of heat to radiate throughout entire systems. With a supercharger being mounted atop the engine and driven by the crankshaft it leaves little room for what is known as an intercooler. Intercoolers are products designed to remove heat from the air charge. Every 10 degree drop in air charge contributes about one percent horsepower gain. The larger the intercooler generally means the more efficient. This is a very general statement though provided there are many types and designs to these components that will not be discussed here. A turbo can be mounted as far away as necessary. Some systems have them in the rear of the car allowing cool intake charges or even the use of remote intercoolers of huge proportion. This is a great advantage to the turbocharger system.
With the efficiency of turbochargers having capabilities of dominating superchargers it is hard to argue the superiority of the turbo. The ability to cool intake charges very effectively and create boost pressures near instantly allows drastic power increases and near demonic driving habits. The systems have both been employed by the manufacturers and racing industry with great success. The more prevalent turbo charger is becoming more and more apparent throughout both industries and will undoubtedly become the major player in each category.
remember i was limited on number of words and am presenting to people completely un educated on this subject so yea it is simple
Superchargers in comparison to turbochargers.
In the industry of fast paced developing and technological advances, many automobile manufacturers are looking for more efficient means of supplying the consumer with the affordable supercar. Developments have always been time consuming and expensive up to the recent. The ever more present forced induction on vehicles is helping catapult daily commuters into trailblazing supercars with economy that can fit many consumer budgets. Two major options lie with contradicting qualities, the supercharger and the turbocharger.
Both the supercharger and turbocharger where originally developed for uses outside the automotive industry. Superchargers such as the commonly found roots type was developed to pump air into mine shafts to ventilate workers. This was an inefficient system that required too large a supercharger to do enough ventilation but shows the initial design was based on what we use it for today. The turbo was developed for air use. Developed for fighter planes to help bring them to speeds higher than any other plane and stay consistent with atmospheric changes. This design is again an instance where the original design is still in use today, power adder.
To better understand the two systems commonly used I think it is important to explain what they both try to achieve, boost. Boost is pressure above atmospheric and as effective in making horsepower and speed as the adrenal gland in the human body. Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi at sea level. This means that every inch you go above sea level you lose atmospheric pressure. Each pound of air pressure helps the internal combustion engine fill the cylinders with air and fuel required to make power. This can lead to drastic changes for some vehicles. Driving up from say Orlando to Denver you experience altitude changes that an engine without these systems, referred to as naturally aspirated, will lose upwards fifty percent power levels from the lack of air entering the engine.
Along with the required knowledge of boost pressure a basic understanding of how both of these systems work is required. A supercharger is a belt driven air pump driven by the engine crankshaft. This turning can require large amounts of power just to turn the supercharger. Certain vehicles can see 150 horsepower losses from just turning the pulley that drives the supercharger. A turbo charger is driven by spent exhaust gasses. As the exhaust gas enters the snail shell shaped housing vertically it passes a precisely designed wheel it spins it until it exits laterally. This uses the heat and velocity from the spent exhaust gases exiting the engine that would naturally exit the exhaust unused. From this aspect you can see that the turbo creates significantly less parasitic drag on the engine and uses an almost free energy design.
With both systems having both good and bad qualities you may be wondering what is the better of the two and which will supersede the other. The question really goes answered by another question. What is it you are looking for? While efficiency for the turbo remains the foundation for its long lasting support, the instant gratification of a supercharger goes without notice.
With the supercharger having a large gear reduction and a constant drive source it is capable of producing instant boost pressures that allow quick acceleration. This is the theory behind a drag racers soul, instant power through the whole power curve. Only problem with this is the faster the supercharger spins the more boost it produces so you still have a low boost take off with a almost sine wave boost line during up shifts and rpm changes. Not a good quality to look for when trying to stay consistent.
The turbocharger also has a low rpm “lag”. This means that until you can really get a turbo spinning you are not really going anywhere. When the turbo starts to spin near spooling point, the point at which boost is produced, it is a self feeding nature. Different components are used to help keep this in control. This turbo lag is what most people remain hung over on to why the turbocharger is inferior. Recent developments such as ceramic ball bearing, anti surge housings, and blow off valves allow the turbo not only to spool almost instantly but remain spooling during shifts.
The other problematic factor in both systems is heat. Heat is the enemy of all engine components. Compressing air causes high levels of heat to radiate throughout entire systems. With a supercharger being mounted atop the engine and driven by the crankshaft it leaves little room for what is known as an intercooler. Intercoolers are products designed to remove heat from the air charge. Every 10 degree drop in air charge contributes about one percent horsepower gain. The larger the intercooler generally means the more efficient. This is a very general statement though provided there are many types and designs to these components that will not be discussed here. A turbo can be mounted as far away as necessary. Some systems have them in the rear of the car allowing cool intake charges or even the use of remote intercoolers of huge proportion. This is a great advantage to the turbocharger system.
With the efficiency of turbochargers having capabilities of dominating superchargers it is hard to argue the superiority of the turbo. The ability to cool intake charges very effectively and create boost pressures near instantly allows drastic power increases and near demonic driving habits. The systems have both been employed by the manufacturers and racing industry with great success. The more prevalent turbo charger is becoming more and more apparent throughout both industries and will undoubtedly become the major player in each category.
remember i was limited on number of words and am presenting to people completely un educated on this subject so yea it is simple
Good job 
09-01-2008, 11:30 PM
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"Each pound of air pressure helps the internal combustion engine fill the cylinders with air and fuel required to make power. "
^ isnt entirely accurate... wouldnt help add fuel.. just air.
^ isnt entirely accurate... wouldnt help add fuel.. just air.
09-02-2008, 08:19 AM
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if it were carburated it would since the air flow would pull more fuel through the venturies but yes that is tru i will edit it since i am directing it towards fuel injection. very basic it was nearly impossible to keep it under a thousand words.
09-02-2008, 08:30 AM
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My $.02
09-02-2008, 09:09 AM
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I know it's just a rough draft, but this is a sentence fragment:
"Developed for fighter planes to help bring them to speeds higher than any other plane and stay consistent with atmospheric changes."
"Developed for fighter planes to help bring them to speeds higher than any other plane and stay consistent with atmospheric changes."
