Many modern vehicles have forced induction systems, often referred to as superchargers or turbochargers. While some people do not understand the distinction between supercharged engines and turbocharged engines, the truth is that there are many key differences that make supercharged engines ideal for some applications while turbocharged engines tend to be better for other applications. In order to understand supercharged engines better, it is important to understand how engines work.
Engines burn fuel but require air for combustion. The more air and fuel that can be combusted in any period of time, the more powerful the output of the engine. Pistons are sleeved in cylinders, and are usually connected in two sets in such a fashion that when one set is going up, the other set is going down. Pistons go up when an explosion happens within that set, and that explosive force pulls the other set of cylinders down and creates a vacuum that pulls air into the empty cylinders.
Unfortunately, the pressure of the atmosphere limits how much air can be pulled into empty cylinders before the pistons descend. Of course, a supercharger is a way to circumvent the normal process of feeding air to an engine. This is accomplished by a variety of different techniques, but instead of relying on the up and down motion of pistons, a supercharger relies on a belt or chain in much the same way as an alternator or air conditioner does. Most modern engines have an internal belt structure that powers various pumps and other equipment, but each item added to a belt system does sap efficiency and overall output. Fortunately, superchargers add far more power than they remove from the equation.
Supercharged engines differ from turbocharged engines in that supercharged engines are powered by the primary belt and/or chain system that drives many pumps and other devices while exhaust powers a turbocharger system. This means that supercharged systems are effective at very low rpm ranges as well as very high rpm ranges, unlike turbocharged engines that typically experience a lag due to the required exhaust build-up.
In summary, a supercharged engine is an engine that has an additional amount of airflow provided by a supercharger. This in turn allows for more fuel to be combusted within any period of time, and that in turn results in greater output. Output can be measured in horsepower and torque, both of which can impact performance in a positive way. On the negative side, a supercharged engine does consume more fuel and is unlikely to last as long as a non-supercharged engine of similar design when used in a similar fashion.
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