What to consider when choosing a turbo charger or supercharger kit
As more and more action movies show fast cars and speedy chases, movie goers continue to wonder if indeed the speeds they are trying to portray in their scenes are possible in the real world. And indeed, the speeds in these cars are not far from reality since there are ways to make your cars go faster than the normal. You can achieve this by fitting in a turbo kit or a supercharger kit, whichever you desire and are appropriate for how you intend to use your car.
Turbocharger and supercharger are similar in that they both make your cars go fast explained in the simplest way possible. Both systems achieve this by compressing the air that flows into the engine. By compressing air, more of it is allowed to get in the engine and its cylinders. More air also means more fuel that is stuffed in, so more power is derived from each cylinder. Of course, this is what makes your car go faster than an ordinary car. Typically, the boost that is provided by a turbocharger/supercharger is 6-8 pounds per square inch; this is approximately putting in an ideal of 50 percent more air into the engine, thus giving you 50 percent more power. The main difference between supercharger and turbocharger is its power supply. In a supercharger, a belt that is connected to the engine supplies the power for the air compressor while for a turbocharger; the air compressor is powered by the exhaust stream which runs through a turbine.
When considering putting a supercharger kit or a turbocharger kit in your car, there are some considerations to take note of as each kit has its advantages and disadvantages. Turbochargers easily fit into straight 4 or 6 cylinder engines and are commonly used for diesel engines. You can even fit two turbochargers on a V6 or a V8, if you want to go even faster. Another advantage of a turbocharger is that it produces more power even at a low revolution per minute cycle. Maximum boost provided by the turbocharger can be attained between 2000 to 2500 RPM. Nowadays, turbochargers are designed in a way that the turbo fan has become smaller and the waste gate bigger resulting to a higher turbo speed. Turbochargers also have it disadvantages and the main one being the high temperature it generates when it runs. This is because turbochargers rely on the exhaust gas velocity and the higher the exhaust gas velocity, the higher the temperature goes. To answer this negative aspect of a turbocharger, additional cost is needed for good insulation. Turbocharged cars must also be cooled down before switching off. Other disadvantages of turbochargers are that they have a turbo lag and they require a special exhaust branch. Usually, turbochargers are used on constant load engines such as trucks and power plants.
Superchargers, on the other hand, are used in acceleration racing since it does not have the lag that is associated with turbochargers. These are also very easy to install. It is also very predictable in engineering terms as you can choose a supercharger based on manufacturer’s data alone. However, the major disadvantage of a supercharger is that it is more expensive than a turbocharger. A supercharger is also more complex to manufacture as compared to a turbocharger.
So if you have a straight engine, you can install a turbocharger to boost your speed, but if you are thinking of joining acceleration competition, then a supercharger will do you good.
Written by Car Enthusiast on May 14th, 2008 with
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