How Turbochargers Work
Aturbochargercan give the engine of any regular passenger vehicle an extra boost of power. Turbochargers do this by harnessing unused energy developed through the combustion process during engine operation. Yet, this piece of equipment has a very simple configuration that can be used in both gasoline and diesel engines of all sizes. To understand how turbochargers work, though, you need to know how two special wheels in it work together to improve engine performance.Turbocharger configurationAlthough a power system in itself, the turbocharger is made up of very few parts. Seen from the outside, a turbocharger-bolted to one side of the engine in most cases-may resemble a couple of metal doughnut-like components connected through a middle tube. In fact, one of these round components connects to the exhaust manifold. Inside this housing is a turbine wheel. The other round component houses a compressor wheel, which connects to the intake manifold. Both wheels are permanently connected through a turbo shaft.How the turbocharger worksAs the engine begins to operate, exhaust gases leaving the engine pass through the turbine housing of the turbocharger. As the engine picks up speed, the exhaust system begins to build up back pressure. With sufficient engine load, the exhaust stream becomes strong enough to turn the turbine wheel at a rapid speed, which in turns rotates the compressor wheel through the turbo shaft. This allows more of the air/fuel mixture going through the intake manifold to reach each of the cylinders.As the compressor wheel rotates, it pulls outside air into its housing. The centrifugal force developed by this wheel compresses incoming air and squeezes it under pressure into the intake manifold and engine cylinder. This pressure increases the air/fuel mixture volume (gasoline engine) or air density (diesel engine) going into the cylinder chambers. In turn, thecompression strokepressure in the cylinders steps-up, providing a more powerful combustion and extra power to the engine.Although simple in design, turbochargers not only give more power to an engine, but also have the added benefit of increasing fuel economy andemission control. Now, modern turbochargers come in a more lightweight design, integrating carbon fiber materials that cut their weight and increase efficiency even more. Thus, coupled with the right modifications, a turbocharged engine can even double its horsepower on the racing strip to get the advantage it may need to speed up to the finish line ahead of the pack.
