Turbo Charge: Increase the power from your motor

Turbochargers: Improve engine performance

Turbochargers and superchargers are similar and are both a type of forced induction system. They cause the air to be compressed as it flows into the engine. This is good since now compressed air is being crammed into the engine cylinders.  With more air comes more fuel that can be crammed in too. With that, more energy is produced each time the cylinder is fired.  A supercharged or turbocharged engine creates more power than the same type of engine without a ram air/fuel combination.

Typically, the boost provided by either of these two systems is 6 to 8 pounds psi (per square inch). Normal atmospheric pressure is about 15.0 psi at sea level, you will achieve about a 50-percent increase of air supplied into the engine. You would think, therefore you should get about 50-percent more power, unfortunately that is not quiet right as in actuality you only get about a 30% to 40% increase.

The main difference between a supercharged and a turbocharger is where is gets its power from. Where is the energy source to run the air compressor? A supercharger has a belt that connects straight to the engine and runs like the alternator or water pump. The turbocharger is powered via the exhaust stream. As the exhaust leaves the engine, it runs through a turbine, which therefore spins the compressor.

There are pros and cons to either system. Some think a turbocharger is better because its power is from the wasted energy from the exhaust system. However, due to the turbine mounted on the exhaust pipe, turbochargers create backpressure in the exhaust system and will not provide boost until the RPM in the engine is running higher. On the other hand, superchargers can be easier to install but are usually significantly more expensive.