What Is a Turbocharger, And How Does It Work

What is a Turbocharger?

It’s a device present in an internal combustion engine. Car manufacturers have begun integrating turbochargers into small engines to generate more power.

A turbocharger is designed to attract and send more air into the car’s engine by force, something a regular car engine cannot do on its own. The extra air that enters the engine helps it burn fuel more efficiently. It eventually leads to greater power output.
 

How a Turbocharger Works: Step-by-Step Process

The process of a turbocharger working in a car may sound complex, but it’s relatively straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step process of how it works.

1. Engine Produces Exhaust Gases

Turbocharging begins the moment you start your car. As you continue running your car, it leads to fuel burning inside the engine. The burnt fuel creates gases that are usually released through the exhaust pipe.

If your car has a regular engine, these gases will simply leave through the exhaust pipe. However, if your car has a turbocharged engine, it will use these exhaust gases to begin the turbocharging process.

2. Exhaust Gases Spin the Turbine

The exhaust gases flow through the car’s turbocharger and hit the small turbine wheel located inside. It’s like the wind spinning a fan. The faster and stronger the exhaust gases flow, the faster this turbine spins.

3. Turbine Turns the Compressor

This small turbine wheel is connected to another wheel called a compressor via a shaft. Hence, when the turbine starts spinning, so does the compressor. Both these wheels spin together and work as a single system.

4. Fresh Air is Compressed

The compressor pulls in outside air and squeezes it into a smaller space. This air compression allows more oxygen to fit into the same amount of space.

5. More Air Enters the Engine

This compressed air is then sent into the engine’s cylinders. Since the engine now starts receiving more oxygen than usual, it can burn more fuel efficiently during combustion.

6. The Engine Creates More Power

With more air and fuel working together, the combustion process becomes stronger. The result is greater power output and quicker acceleration without needing a larger engine.

7. The Cycle Keeps Repeating

As long as the engine is running, this process continues repeatedly. The engine creates exhaust gases; the turbocharger uses them to compress more air and pass it to the engine for higher fuel combustion and power generation. This cycle keeps feeding itself to maintain performance.
 

Understanding Turbochargers and Engines

If you truly want to understand turbochargers and engines, you should first understand the relationship between the two. Before proceeding, know that a car engine needs air and fuel to generate power.

The more efficiently a car engine uses both, the more power it can produce. A naturally aspirated engine usually pulls air on its own. However, a turbocharged engine takes this concept further by forcing more air into the engine.

It’s why many modern cars now use small turbocharged engines instead of larger ones. A small engine backed by turbo car power boost can usually deliver performance similar to a larger engine while using fuel more efficiently. In simple terms, a car turbocharger helps an engine do more with the resources it already has.
 

How Much Horsepower Does a Turbo Add?

A car turbocharger usually provides a boost of 6-8 psi. Considering that the normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi, you can expect the car engine to receive 50% more air. As a car owner, you can expect a 30-40% improvement in engine power output because of this increased air supply.

You can use it as a reference, and not a guarantee, because the precise increase in horsepower depends on numerous factors, including the engine’s size, the size of the turbo, the tuning of the turbo, and the type of engine it’s paired with.
 

What are the Key Components of a Turbocharger?

A car turbocharger is made using numerous small components. We’ve covered the key components for your reference.

Turbine

The turbine is a small wheel-like component placed on the exhaust side of the car’s turbocharger. Its primary job is to capture the exhaust gases and use them to start the turbocharging process.

Compressor

It’s a fan-like component located on the air intake side of the turbocharger. A compressor draws in outside air, compresses it, and delivers a greater volume of oxygen-rich air to the engine.

Shaft

The shaft is a key component of a turbocharger. If you look at the visual design of a turbocharger, you’ll see it looks like a metal rod that connects the turbine and compressor wheels inside the turbocharger. Since it connects both wheels, they spin together and act as a single system.

Housing

A turbocharger cannot perform if its internal components aren’t protected from external damage. It is exactly what housing does. This component provides the outer casing that surrounds and protects the turbocharger’s internal components. It also helps guide exhaust gases and external air to the engine using optimised routes.

Wastegate

A car turbocharger already handles extremely high temperatures. If it starts to receive uncontrolled hot gases, it may break down under pressure. Hence, a pressure-control valve is used to prevent such scenarios. This value is called the wastegate.

Intercooler

As the name indicates, this component helps cool down the compressed air. As compressed air becomes denser, it helps the engine deliver better performance. The most visible results are improved efficiency and performance.
 

What are the Key Advantages of a Turbocharger for a Car

• Higher Power Output without a Larger Engine: A turbocharger can help smaller engines deliver stronger performance, similar to that of larger, fuel-hungry engines. It allows cars to produce more power without needing a bigger and heavier engine.
• Improved Acceleration: With a turbocharger, a regular car engine receives far more air, making it easier to burn fuel more efficiently. Hence, most cars with a turbocharged engine can feel quicker and more responsive during acceleration.
• Better Performance at Higher Altitudes: Engines naturally lose some performance at high altitudes because the air in those regions contains less oxygen. A car turbocharger can help you compensate for the lack of oxygen by forcing more air into the engine.
• Makes Better Use of Wasted Energy: If you have a turbocharger for a car, it won’t let exhaust gases go to waste. Instead, it will draw it into the turbocharger, compress it, and send it to the car’s engine to produce more power.

Conclusion

Turbochargers may sound like a complex automotive feature, but they’re simply designed to make smaller engines deliver near similar engine performance as larger ones without a turbo. When you choose a car with a turbocharger, you’re essentially choosing better power delivery, stronger acceleration, and improved fuel efficiency.

If you’ve decided to purchase a new car with a turbocharger engine, don’t forget to protect it financially under a dependable Car Insurance policy. The Comprehensive Car Insurance policy from Shriram General Insurance deserves your attention in this case.

FAQs

1. Do turbochargers increase car speed?

A turbocharger delivers more air to the car’s engine, so it can deliver a higher power output and improved speed.

2. Do all cars have a turbocharger?

Although many modern cars now have turbocharged engines, they aren’t available in every four-wheeler.

3. What are the two main components of a turbocharger?

A turbine and a compressor are the key components of a turbocharger.

4. Can a turbocharger increase horsepower significantly?

Yes, it can. However, the increase in horsepower depends on multiple factors. The size of your car’s engine, the turbo’s size, and the type of engine the turbo is paired with are the major influencers.

5. What happens if the turbocharger fails?

If the turbocharger fails, you can experience a noticeable power loss and increased exhaust smoke coming from your car’s tailpipe.