Difference between turbo's and superchargers?
Answers:
Main difference is that a turbo is powered by the exhaust and a supercharger is powered by the engine via direct drive, belt or chain.
The horse power created all depends on the specification of the turbo or supercharger fitted, how big the engine is, if an intercooler is fitted etc.
An engine is really only a glorified air pump, the faster it can get air in, the faster it can spit it out.
A turbo is a small turbine driven by exhaust gasses that pass across the turbo and then through the exhaust. At the other end of the turbine shaft is bolted a compressor vane which sucks air in via the air filter and then throws it with great force into the intake manifold.
Now this air gets hot and in doing so it becomes less combustable because it has lost some of its density (or volume)
By throwing the compressed air through an intercooler the air is cooled down and made more dense so it gives a better bang.
This is why an upgraded intercooler adds so much more horse power.
A supercharger is a compressor driven from the engine. The advantage of this is that boost is availiable as soon as the engine is started right up to the redline.
A turbo needs the engine spinning at least to mid range in order to start producing good usable horsepower. The wait for the turbo to get fast enough , or "to spool up" is called turbo lag.
A supercharged car has that extra boost right from the off.
I hope that helps.
turbo; driven by exhaust gas
super; driven from camshaft or crankshaft
Turbo's come fitted in lotsa cars. Superchargers must be fitted as they are driven by a fanbelt and cost arms and legs
Instant burst of power with supercharger. Turbos have to get going hence turbo lag. Basically push more air into combustion chamber increasing the cars ability to accelerate.
They are all "superchargers" in that they fill the engine cylinder at pressues above ambient atmosheric pressure.
In day to day terms a turbocharger is driven by a turbine which is powered by the inertia of the exhaust gasses from the engine acting on the other end of said turbine.
A supercharger is a compressor driven by mechanical means - rather like other ancilliary items on an engine.
Both devices compress air incoming air (normally at atmospheric pressure) for combustion in an engine.
A turbocharger uses a freespinning "fan" driven by the force of the engine's exhaust gasses and a supercharger uses a belt-driven fan tied to the engines crankshaft.
You identify a supercharger by seeing the belt viewing the car head on. It is typically more responsive than a turbo because it doesn't need exhaust gases to drive the incoming air.
A turbocharger uses the exhaust gasses to turn the compressor while a supercharger uses engine power to turn the compressor.
A turbocharger has a turbine that runs from exhaust gasses to compress more air into the combustion chamber, hence more power. It compresses more air at higher rpms, and thus the system takes longer to boost your power. A supercharger is powered from your crankshaft via a belt or chain and will compress air into the combustion chamber immediately upon your engine running. In my opinion, superchargers are better than turbos, as they tend to burn less fuel for the extra power they generate. Supershargers can boost your HP by about 100 just from boltnig it on, but depending on what type of engine you have, you may also need to upgrade pistons, rods cams, etc.it can cost an arm and a leg for either a turbo or a supercharger.
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