Turbocharger Definition and 25 Threads

A turbocharger (technically a turbosupercharger), colloquially known as turbo, is a turbine-driven, forced induction device that increases an internal combustion engine's power output by forcing extra compressed air into the combustion chamber.
This improvement over a naturally aspirated engine's power output is because the compressor can force more air—and proportionately more fuel—into the combustion chamber than atmospheric pressure (and for that matter, ram air intakes) alone.
Manufacturers commonly use turbochargers in truck, car, train, aircraft, and construction-equipment engines. They are most often used with Otto cycle and diesel cycle internal combustion engines.

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  1. D

    Calculating the energy required to spool a turbocharger

    I am interested in figuring out a general formula for how much energy it takes to spin up a turbocharger if we know the diameter of the wheel,mass, target rpm, and time to go from stationary to full speed. The goal is to get a general idea of what engine speed is required to get a turbo to spool...
  2. Vanadium 50

    Automotive Unexpected Behavior with Audi A3 e-tron Turbocharger boost

    So the other day I plugged in one of those cheap-o OBD-II bluetooth adapters and looked at my car's boost pressure on my phone. Moat of the behaviors look reasonable. Others, not so much. Car is an Audi A3 etron. Has a 1.4T engine putting out 150 hp and an electric motor putting out 100 hp...
  3. A

    Power output of a intercooler and turbocharger

    Homework Statement The power output of an automobile engine is directly proportional to the mass of air that can be forced into the volume of the engine’s cylinders to react chemically with gasoline. Many cars (like a 2008 Mini Cooper S) have a turbocharger, which compresses the air before it...
  4. F

    Automotive How long until vacuum (Hg/In) drops off? (turbocharger)

    I've been searching but i can not find the answer. This is for my turbocharged car. I just fabricated a rear turbocharger at the back. Really not sure how to word this,sorry. Question 1: So my car produces 26Hg/in vacuum at the engine. About how much pressure drop per foot is expected? The...
  5. L

    Automotive What happens when a turbocharger hits it's stonewall point?

    Hi all, My first physics question here - hope it's worthy and someone has some experience here :) Hypothetically speaking, say you have an engine capable of swallowing 85lb/min of air at an absolute pressure of ~280kpa at sea level running a turbocharger running the compressor which the...
  6. C

    Automotive Electric Turbocharger Questions

    Hello Everyone, I just registered here to try to get some answers on a question that has been bugging me for a few days. So back in June, Audi announced the upcoming SQ5, a medium sized SUV, but in the sport package. In Europe, the car will receive a 3.0L TDI engine, however it will be released...
  7. A

    Turbocharger Leak Test question from a Physics Layman

    First off, I know very little about physics and have only taken classes in high school years ago. I'm a car fanatic and I'm mainly joining this forum to settle a debate I'm having with one of my friends about turbo cars and boost leak tests. For those who don't know, in an automotive...
  8. T

    Thermodynamics turbocharger question

    Homework Statement A 10 L truck engine has a volumetric efficiency of 100%. It has a turbocharger which increased the mass flow of air and its pressure by a factor of 2 when the engine is running at 4300 rpm. Find the turbocharger rpm, efficiency, and the temperature of the air leaving the...
  9. Tom Rauji

    Heat energy extraction in turbocharger

    I have a question I've found asked, but never found answered. I'm an EE, but I have a car as a hobby. I changed from a belt drive inlet air compressor (supercharger) to a turbocharger. People commonly say the turbo is "much more efficient" because it "runs free on otherwise wasted exhaust...
  10. Carlko26

    Turbocharger: Mass flow rate and pressure ratio

    Hello everyone, i am currently dimensioning a compression system using a vehicle turbocharger and need to find a way to relate the pressure ratio of the compressor and the mass flow rate. (flows trough compressor and turbine are of course separated) For the turbine, one can use Stodola's...
  11. Fernando8290

    Peak pressure and boost pressure are the same?

    Hello, I am doing my master thesis about "Means to improve the indicated efficiency in internal combustion engines",and this evening reading about Turbo-charging that doubt came up: talking in turbocharger terms,peak pressure and boost pressure are the same? Thank you in advance for your...
  12. CorvetteAB

    Want to set up a turbocharger for KTM 390 engine

    Hey friends, My college team takes part in college level racing events. They currently use a KTM 390 engine(race limit is 600). WIth the 20mm restrictor rule we can generate around 30-33hp after some tuning, after the restriction of course. Now we want more power. We need it. So we have 2...
  13. Vlad137

    Physics behind turbochargers and compressors

    Hi everyone, I need to do a presentation to a high school class about the physics behind a turbocharger and was looking for some help getting which principals/laws explain what happens when a turbocharger is used within a car i.e.; Thermodynamics, gas laws. I just need a direction in which...
  14. voltech444

    Can an Anti-Lag Turbo Supercharger Increase Engine Efficiency and Performance?

    I've been thinking of an idea lately to increase the power to weight ratio of an internal combustion engine. It's from an already proven concept, anti-lag turbo. There's different types of anti-lag but the kind I'm referring to is sometimes called combustor can anti-lag. Basically a combustion...
  15. G

    Turbocharger (Physics of Fuel Efficiency)

    I have a general understanding of how superchargers and turbochargers work; however, there is something that I have always had a hard time conceptualizing as a physics problem. Super/Turbo chargers add horsepower. This makes sense as they essentially cram more fuel into the combustion chamber...
  16. D

    Automotive Turbocharger in a car, thermodynamics

    For a car modification project, it would be nice to have a function to express the pressure in a volume, as a function of the size of this volume, the amount of air moved by a compressor per unit of time, and the time for how long this compressor has been spinning (assume constant speed). To...
  17. S

    Looking for a Turbocharger with a Shrouded Turbine Wheel?

    Hi, could someone suggest a turbocharger model? My lab needs one for demonstration purposes. It needs to have a (radial inflow) turbine wheel up to 6 inch diameter. Has to come with inlet manifold, it'd be nice the inlet manifold to have a set of nozzles/stator vanes. It'd be perfect if...
  18. C

    Comp Sci Axial Turbocharger Modelling in C++

    Hi, currently i am studying the performance of axial turbocharger, and i have formulate the equation and all the data in Microsoft excel, and i want it to be convert into C++ language, could anyone teach me how to start by doing this, because i am totally new in C++...please...i already upload...
  19. M

    Does an R2S turbocharger,2 stage turbocharger and twin turbo mean the same

    does the r2s turbo , a 2 stage turbo and a twin turbo mean the same ...well my idea of a 2 stage turbo is that where compression of air takes place in 2 stages ..so does it consist of 2 compressors?
  20. C

    C/C++ C++ modelling of axial turbocharger

    HI, i am a student taking final year project in my university, my project title was C++ modelling of axial turbocharger, it was a counter-rotating turbocharger, can anyone help me to get some useful information to complete my project? thanks
  21. S

    Two stage turbocharger heat pump.

    So, I've been thinking a lot on this lately. I want to use two turbochargers, one with just the compressor - and one with both compressor and turbine. Doing calculations at 10 deg C. Doing the math for Norway because commercially avatible evap heat exchangers doesn't really work well in our...
  22. B

    Calculating power of a Turbocharger

    Hi. My question is about the turbocharger itself and not about the resulting power increase from the added air in the combustion chamber. Can you calculate the power of a turbo if you have the change in pressure (atmospheric VS. Intake Manifold), and the change in temperature (outside air to...
  23. P

    Does the Flow Rate Change in a Turbocharger at Different Pressure Levels?

    i have a question about a turbocharger (air compressor). a turbo's function is to compress the exit air so that more air can fill the cylinders. let me give an example which will help setup my question: XYZ motor pumps 10000cfm normally aspirated (1ATM) at max power (lets says 6500 rpm)...
  24. C

    Gasoline Engine Turbocharger Concept.

    Conventional turbocharging is done from the manifolds. Or as close to as possible. In the last few years, a company (STSturbo) came out that designed a system for rear mounted turbos, that seems to work well. What I am ultimately trying to figure out is the most efficient way of...
  25. Y

    Turbocharger Question: 2x Less Rotating Mass Benefits?

    Hello guys I am new to this. I have a question about turbochargers that is really giving me a headache maybe someone can help. If there are 2 turbochargers they are the same in every way. The only difference is that one turbocharger has 2x less rotating mass than the other turbocharger. Will...
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