Turbo how does it work

Very simply, a turbocharger is a kind of air pump taking air at ambient pressures atmospheric pressure , compressing to a higher pressure and passing the compressed air into the engine via the inlet valves. At the present time, turbos are used mainly on diesel engines, but there is now a move towards the turbo charging of production petrol engines.

As all engines are dependent on air and fuel we know that increase in either of these elements within set limits will increase power from the engine but if we increase the fuel we must be capable of burning off all of it. In order to meet our requirements for power, this requires air; putting in more air presents far more problems than putting in more fuel.

Air is around us all the time and is under pressure, at sea level this pressure is about 15 p. It is this pressure that forces air into the cylinders. To increase the air flow, an air pump turbocharger is fitted and compressed air is blown into the engine. This air mixes with the injected fuel allowing the fuel to burn more efficiently so increasing the power output of the engine.

One other side of turbocharging, which may be of interest, is an engine which works regularly at high altitudes, where the air is less dense and where turbocharging will restore most of the lost power caused by the drop in air pressure. Lancia Delta World Rally Car How turbos work Why are turbos in so many cars Potential downsides to turbochargers What is a supercharger and how is it different to a turbo? How do turbos work?

Mercedes A — with a 2. Turbodiesels are the mainstay of the Range Rover Evoque engine line-up. Ford Puma has a 1. Volvo XC60 T8 has a turbo and a supercharger. Configure your next turbocharged car. Compare cars using carwow Compare cars using carwow. View offers from local and national dealers. Buy with confidence on carwow. Select a car. Like this article? Share it with others! Related articles. What is a mild hybrid MHEV car? Blog Sep 22nd, How does it work?

Related Articles. Disadvantages Turbochargers have 2 main disadvantages when compared to a naturally aspirated or supercharged engine. Previous Post Next Post. Recent Posts What is Charged by Chevrolet?

Find Your Vehicle. Search by keyword. Search Keyword. Make All. This means cars benefit from strong, nippy performance, which is great around town and helps the engine to feel more refined at higher speeds on motorways and A roads.

At low speeds, small turbocharged engines can outpace cars fitted with larger, naturally-aspirated engines, because of the torque they produce. As the air in a turbocharged engine is filtered through more pipes and components, the intake and exhaust noise is reduced and refined, making for a quieter and smoother engine noise — perhaps one of the most unexpected benefits of a turbocharged engine.

Turbochargers add complexity to an engine, with a whole host of other components beneath the bonnet that can fail or develop faults. These problems can be expensive to put right, and can have an impact on other components if they fail. This only really happens when the car is being driven aggressively, or from a closed throttle position. In high-performance cars, manufacturers prevent turbo lag by adding two turbochargers of differing geometry, rather than one big one with only a single turbine.

Drivers going from a naturally-aspirated car to a turbocharged model may need to adjust their driving style to maintain good efficiency, particularly when first setting off. In , Saab developed a new, more efficient turbo system, and this design, with a few tweaks and modifications, remains the most popular turbocharger configuration today.