super/turbo charged

[studdyhalllooser]

ok...call me stupid but someone explain a supercharger and turbo charger for me please. iv grown up around old trucks where displacement was king so i never knew what they do mechanically

[Safety Guy]

Both use a compressor to "charge" the intake air so it can be more densely mixed with more fuel. I believe they were originally developed for airplanes to fly better at higher altitudes.

The difference is that turbochargers are run off the exhaust gasses while superchargers are run off the engine crank.

Exhaust gas drive vs. direct mechanical drive.

(Some superchargers can be run by electricity, but that involves a large drain on the electrical system as I understand it.)

When a mass of air is compressed, it rises in temperature, so both turbos and superchargers often use an "intercooler" to reduce the air temp after compression and before it is mixed with the fuel.

While turbos are generally more efficient, a lot depends on speed range of operation and some other factors. Properly set up superchargers of a certain type can be quite efficient.

Just the basics. That's about all I know.

Karl