Turbocharger-The Catalyst of the Engine
What is a Turbocharger?
Turbochargers compress the air into the engine—a process known as forced induction. An internal-combustion engine does its job by pulling air and fuel into its cylinders, compressing the mixture with pistons, and igniting it. The resulting explosions push the pistons down, which turn the crankshaft to power the vehicle. The amount of power an engine can make depends on how much fuel it can burn, but to increase the fuel, you need more air too. That's where turbochargers come in, forcing more air into the engine than it could otherwise suck in on its own.
Turbochargers provide such a boost in power that automakers are able to downsize engines—reducing displacement and, in many cases, the number of cylinders—while still making similar power. So a turbocharged four-cylinder can replace a naturally aspirated V6, and a boosted six-cylinder can make V8-level power. Engines without turbochargers are often called naturally aspirated engines when a distinction is necessary.
How Does a Turbocharger Work?
A conventional turbocharger consists of two fan-like wheels inside housings that are connected via a shaft and resemble snail shells. The engine routes exhaust gas to one of those wheels, known as the turbine, which rotates the other wheel, called the compressor. The compressor pulls in and pressurizes the fresh intake air that is pumped into the engine's cylinders. As the engine runs and exhaust pressure builds, the turbine spins faster and faster, further compressing the intake air.
Pictured above is the turbocharged four-cylinder base engine in the Chevrolet Silverado. The base V6 is gone, and a turbo four-cylinder takes place, offering more horsepower and better fuel economy than the V6 it replaced.
Automakers and auto suppliers have experimented with electric turbochargers or e-turbos. These turbos add an electric motor on the same shaft as the turbine and compressor to capture energy or spin the compressor quicker than the exhaust gases can. Audi says some of its performance vehicles use electric turbochargers. Still, these are actually electric superchargers by definition, as they are solely powered by an electric motor, not driven by exhaust gases.
Do Turbochargers Improve Fuel Economy?
The Whole System
- Intercooler
- Wastegate
- Blow-off Valve
- Piping and Manifolds
- Hot/Cold Side Piping
Petrol engines need oxygen to combust fuel. But what happens when the vehicle or the driver requires more power? Manufacturers in the olden days compensate by adding a more significant displacement or more cylinders to their engines. The larger the engine, the larger the air and fuel mixture volume pushed through the engine and by the cylinders. This is commonly known as Cubic Centimeters (CC). Hence, it's pretty common to see displacement in cars ranging from small, four-cylinder, 1.5 Liter (1499 CC) engines in Hondas to a behemoth 8.3 Liter (8,285 CC) V10 engine found in the Dodge Viper.
Higher displacement dishes out more power. While this may seem reasonable, a weekly trip to the gas station and its annual road tax will make you weep to the bank. Higher displacement engines also take up a lot of weight from the engine size, not to mention the fuel needed to store in capacity. For engines with turbo or forced induction systems, however, it can offer up to a similar performance close to high displacement engines while being lighter in weight.
Although it may seem counterintuitive, equipping an engine with a device that aims to shove more air and fuel into the cylinders can make it more efficient. This comes down to the on-demand nature of a turbocharger: the turbo kicks in only when your right foot makes a big request from the accelerator pedal. In other scenarios, the engine bypasses the turbo and functions as if it weren't there. That's when it's at its most efficient. So while a turbocharged engine can be more efficient than a naturally aspirated one of similar power, fuel economy ultimately depends on who's driving and how.
Conclusion
Apart from the turbocharger's working mechanism, the rest of the engine works as a regular internal combustion engine. The only difference of a turbo engine is that it gets additional compressed air from the turbocharger to produce more power and enhanced efficiency.
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