Turbocharger
A turbocharger is a turbine driven by exhaust gases that increases
engine power by forcing relatively large amounts of air into
the cylinders of an engine. A turbocharger compresses air
to achieve forced induction, as a supercharger does, but instead
of relying on power from the crankshaft, it uses the pressure
of exhaust gases. While turbochargers are far more efficient
than superchargers in that they have less parasitic drain,
their operation and mechanics is less straightforward. Turbocharging
became very popular in the 1980s, but is less common today,
although high-performance cars such as the Porsche 911 Turbo
provide exceptions. One problem of turbocharging is that it
requires a substantial volume of exhaust gases to generate
boost. This has to come either from a larger motor, such as
a V-8, or a smaller motor running at high RPMs; the latter
leads to more turbo lag.
Add
more information on this topic |
|
Home page