Since its mass adoption in the 1980s, the turbocharger has been integral to many combustion engines. It’s common knowledge that the turbocharger improves the motor’s function, but how does a turbocharger work? The answer to that question lies in discovering how the motor works and why there is a need for an assisting device such as the turbo.
Turbochargers are mostly associated with high-performance vehicles due to their capacity to boost engine power. By design, these vehicles are meant to have faster acceleration and reach top speeds quicker, and the turbo’s role is to help them achieve that.
Recently, turbochargers have become common in mainstream vehicles as well. The auto industry embraced them to improve fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance.
If you're interested in exploring the world of turbochargers, you can check out options for new or used turbochargers for sale to see how they can enhance your vehicle's performance.
So, the article will explain the work of turbochargers and their role in enhancing the engine’s performance.
How Does a Turbocharger Work?
In diesel and gasoline engines, the primary function of a turbo is to increase the amount of air entering the engine’s combustion chambers. More air allows for more powerful combustion, producing higher horsepower and torque.
The key to understanding how the process works is knowing the motor's basic function and how it turns fuel into energy.
A step-by-step guide to turbochargers operations
Turbocharger Components
The turbo comprises several components that work together to harness exhaust gases and turn them into energy.
These are the basic parts found in almost all turbochargers:
- Turbine housing
- Turbine wheel
- Compressor housing
- Compressor wheel
- Shaft and bearings
Working Principle of Turbochargers
So, what does a turbocharger do, and when does it come into play? The answer is as early as step one, i.e., the air intake. The turbo’s compressor draws air and compresses it so the engine has more air, contributing to better combustion.
Its role is also prevalent in the latter steps as it uses the force of the gases from the exhaust system to power the turbine and compress the additional intake of air. In a way, it recycles exhaust gases to create additional power for the engine.
Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to how a turbocharger works:
Exhaust gas
During the initial combustion, the engine is on its own. This is because the turbocharger needs the energy from the exhaust gases in order to power the turbine.
After the fuel-air mixture gets burned in the cylinders, the resulting gases exit the engine through the exhaust manifold.
Turbine
These extremely hot gases exit the engine’s cylinders at high speed. They carry a significant amount of energy that can be used by cars that have a turbocharger.
The forces of these gases cause the turbines to spin rapidly and contribute towards the next step.
Compression
A compressor wheel rotates along with the turbine on the opposite end of the shaft. The compressor wheel’s turning draws air inside and compresses it to a higher pressure and density. As a result, a more oxygen-rich mixture is created.
Combustion
The compressed air gets forced through the intake manifold and into the combustion chamber, where it mixes with the fuel.
Since the air is compressed, the air-fuel mixture has a higher potential for efficient combustion within the engine’s cylinders.
Moving the wheels
The boosted combustion produces more pressure through the higher gas expansion, creating more mechanical energy.
When it moves the crankshaft, it does so with added power from the turbocharger, providing additional power to the car’s wheels.
Petrol vs. Diesel Turbochargers
There are notable differences between turbochargers used in petrol and diesel motors. This is due to the differences in how the respective motors work in terms of fuel combustion and creating energy for the car.
Still, at the most basic level, petrol and diesel turbos are used for the same thing, which is to provide additional power.
Diesel turbos are designed to deliver higher boost pressures and support the ignition process of diesel fuel, which is more difficult to burn. Diesel fuel has spontaneous combustion, which occurs after the fuel gets injected into the combustion chamber, filled with hot air.
The problem with diesel motors is that they always struggle to draw enough air into the combustion chamber. Hence, turbochargers are a natural fit for diesel motors as it helps them perform their basic task.
If you want to delve deeper into how turbos work in diesel engines, you can read our article on How Does a Turbo Work on a Diesel.
In contrast, petrol turbochargers focus on optimizing the throttle response mostly because petrol fuel is ignited with a spark. The combustion of petrol fuel is much easier and occurs at higher temperatures.
Therefore, the main function of petrol turbochargers is to increase the pressure inside the combustion chamber.
Summary
So, how does a turbocharger work? Knowing how a turbocharger system works requires learning how the motor functions and how it moves the car through fuel combustion.
As a device, the turbocharger’s main purpose is to aid the motor’s function by using the heat of the exhaust gases resulting from the motor’s work.
The turbine of the turbo is set in motion from the hot air. The compressor wheel takes air from the environment and sends it into the combustion chamber through the intake manifold. The added presence of compressed air creates a better environment and delivers stronger combustion.
The difference between petrol and diesel turbos is how the ignition occurs in the respective motors. Petrol engines ignite the fuel through a spark, while diesel motors create enough pressure until the fuel gets ignited spontaneously.
