Before talking about the topic -more needs to be learned about how power is increased. As you know, the engine internal combustion functions with air-fuel mixture, which ignites in the cylinders and burns there. The composition of the mixture includes - air and gasoline, which enter the engine / collector like this:
- Fuel. Served with a special pump through the fuel lines;
- Air is not forced in any way, it is only sucked in by the engine through air filter. Please note that if the filter is dirty, then the power drops sharply, and costs rise.
What do the turbine and compressor do? Both devices begin to strongly pump air into the cylinders, which has a very good effect on power.
So what is the difference between a compressor and a turbine?
What is a compressor
Not all car owners know what a compressor is andHow is a turbine different from a compressor?. So the compressor is mechanical supercharger air, which is hung near the engine, while not interfering with its structure. Today, there are three types of compressor: screw, rotary and centrifugal.
Understand, What better compressor or turbine, a list of allpros and cons of a compressor.
Compressor Advantages:
- The compressor effectively pumps air and increases power by 10%;
- The device was noted for its reliability and structural strength;
- It does not require special care;
- Does not interfere with the work and does not interfere with the structure of the engine;
- There is no defect "turbo-pit";
- Doesn't work when high temperatures;
- The compressor can be installed by hand;
- Does not need oil, which is used to lubricate the engine.
Flaws:
- Does not have the same performance as a turbine;
- It is an outdated model, therefore it has been discontinued on most cars.
Typically, the compressor is mounted on a belt drive from the engine crankshaft, which means that the performance depends on the speed: low speed - low performance, high speed- high. Therefore, the compressor's air supply, as well as the capacity, is limited.
Turbine - what is it?
The turbine is a mechanical air blower, however, unlike the compressor, the turbine operates at high temperatures, mainly 700-800 degrees ° C. Also, the turbine operates on exhaust gases and interferes with the structure of the engine, lubricating the unit with oil.
The principle of operation of the turbine
The principle of operation of the device is as follows - on the exhaust stroke, all exhaust gases exit through a special channel to the muffler. These gases spin the hot turbine wheel, which is located on the same shaft as the cold one. In turn, the cold wheel begins to spin strongly and this way you can get about 200-240,000 revolutions per minute.
Advantages of a turbine over a turbocharger:
- High level of performance compared to a compressor;
Flaws:
- Uses engine oil, which is designed to lubricate and remove excess temperature;
- Low resource. Often after 300,00 km in need of repair;
- High oil consumption. In the normal state of the turbine gasoline engines spend up to 1 l / 10,000 km;
- The use of a turbine is quite often the cause of chain stretching;
- It is rather difficult and risky to install it yourself, if it is not provided by the manufacturer.
Turbine vs Compressor - What's the difference?The compressor runs on a belt drive from the crankshaft of the unit, the turbine - from exhaust gases, crashes into the muffler and is lubricated with oil.
What is better compressor or turbine?
First of all, you should pay attention to the manufacturer. In the end, today no one is engaged in the manufacture and production of compressors, only turbines. Since, the turbine is really a very productive unit, which is able to increase power by 30-40%. However, one should not forget about expensive service and fairly frequent diagnostics, as well as oil changes.
If you do not need such high performance, and you can get by with 7-10 percent of the power, then it is more profitable to purchase a compressor. In addition, you can install it yourself, thereby saving and increasing power by 10%.
Thus, comparing all the pros and cons, you can decide for yourself -What better turbine or compressor.
Today, there are many different ways to give your "steel horse" sufficiently high power and speed characteristics, supplying its engine with some kind of ingenious device. One example of such a device would be a turbocharger.
Many motorists are wondering "turbine and turbocharger - what's the difference?". To answer this question, you need to delve a little into the theory, and consider yourself car turbocharger what is called, in detail (If you are too lazy to read the whole text, read only the highlighted paragraph at the end:lol:).
The classical understanding of the turbine lies in the conversion of any internal or external energy into mechanical energy. So, for example, the simplest turbine there may be an ordinary fan, the blades of which will rotate from the street wind, as a result of which the fan rotor will mechanically interact with the stator, thereby forming generation electric current. Similar principle Turbines are at the heart of any hydroelectric power plant, with the only exception being that water is used instead of wind.
But how can such a device manifest itself in car engine? What will be the source of energy? And what will it transform into? As you know, any internal combustion engine needs a constant supply of air, without which it is simply impossible to ignite the fuel. And the more intensively this air enters the engine, the more power he can develop. Therefore, if, for example, the engine is equipped air compressor, carrying out forced air injection under pressure, then the issue of raising the power will be resolved. But what will this compressor set in motion? As practice shows, they perfectly cope with such a task. traffic fumes, which will just be served on a preliminary installed turbine. The turbine spins, mechanically transferring its torque to the compressor, which, in turn, takes air from the atmosphere and supplies it to the engine under pressure.
Summing up, it becomes clear that the turbine is constituent element turbocharger, which is simply impossible to do without.
As a rule, any automobile turbocharger is a fairly complex device that needs constant attention. high speeds rotation of structural elements, excessive friction, special heavy-duty materials and much more that is inherent in each turbocharger lead to the fact that turbine diagnostics must be carried out regularly. Moreover, diagnostics of turbines cannot be performed, as they say, with improvised means, since specialized instruments and highly qualified performers are needed to determine the physical state of its elements. Similar conditions are required for any repair of turbines, which is possible only in special service conditions. Indeed, as statistics show, the repair of turbines, performed by amateurs, very often ends in failure.
Turbine and compressor have the same working principle. But the exhaust gases turn the turbine, and the compressor spins the engine directly. Compressor by traction characteristics preferable because it works with minimal speed. However, the big minus of the compressor, unlike the turbine, is fuel consumption!
Here is a visual picture:
Nowadays it is very important to increase speed indicators your car. The most common options are the installation of a compressor or a turbine: we are trying to figure out which is better in this article.
But first, let's deal with the principles of operation, the pros and cons of these improvements for .
The principle of operation of the compressor
Disadvantages of the compressor and turbine
The turbine is well suited for enriching the fuel mixture with oxygen. But it still has its drawbacks:
- the turbine is a stationary device and requires full binding to the engine;
- at low speeds it does not give high power, but only on large ones it is able to show all its power;
- the transition from low to high speeds is called a turbo pit, the more power the turbine has, the greater the turbo pit effect will be.
In our time, there are already turbines that work perfectly at high and at low revs engine, but their price is correspondingly decent. When choosing a compressor or turbine, many people prefer turbocharging, regardless of price.
Which is better - compressor or turbine
With a compressor, it is much easier to install and operate. It works on low and on high revs. Also, it does not require much effort or cost during repairs, since, unlike the turbine, the compressor is an independent unit.
To set up the turbine, you will need good specialist for setting under fuel mixture. And in order to set up the compressor, you do not need much effort, or any professional knowledge, everything is adjusted by fuel jets.
In addition, the turbocharger gets quite hot, due to its peculiarity, to develop very high speeds.
With driven superchargers (compressor), the pressure does not depend on the speed and therefore the car reacts very clearly to pressing the gas pedal, and this is quite a valuable quality when the car accelerates. They are also very simple in their design.
But compressors also have disadvantages. motors equipped with superchargers mechanical drive have a higher and lower efficiency, in comparison with the turbine.
There are also big price differences. Any powerful turbine from a popular manufacturer will be expensive and expensive to maintain. And besides, it is required for its installation, a lot additional equipment. The compressor, on the other hand, only needs an additional drive.
Video: how a turbine and compressor work.
In any case, it is up to you to decide what is better compressor or turbine, weigh all the positive and negative qualities, and make the right decision!
The end of the working day, nothing foreshadowed trouble. As in one of the boxes, a dispute broke out among the mechanics. The eternal theme, long overgrown with moss, again showed itself a heated confrontation between the adherents of the compressor and the turbine. I must say that in our service there are constantly skirmishes between fans of German and Japanese cars, lovers of Apple gadgets and adherents of devices on android, now the turn has come to air blowers. Yes, what is actually surprising, each device is good in its own way, it has a number of advantages over each other, but it is also not without drawbacks. There was only one way out of this situation, each side had to provide strong arguments in favor of their device and oppose the other side with the help of the minuses of their “gadget”. I acted as an arbitrator, because for me there is nothing better than a huge “atmospheric” in terms of displacement without additional superchargers.
Purpose of the turbine and compressor
To begin with, it is worth noting that both devices are necessary to increase the air supply to the combustion chamber, as a result of which an increase in engine power follows. Enlightened people know that initially in working mixture the percentage of fuel content is higher than that of air, in view of this, fuel consumption is also greater in relation to efficiency. To get the maximum benefit from the spent fuel, superchargers of a different spectrum of action were invented. The end effect of using a turbine and a compressor is the same - it's a crazy increase in power, but the algorithm of action is different.Let the battle begin
The right to be the first to speak was given to the adherents of the compressor, since their device for increasing power was adopted by the automaker first. So what is a compressor? This device is to some extent an independent unit, the action of which is driven by rotation crankshaft. With the minimum number of changes required to install the compressor, it delivers amazing results.Pros:
- Simple installation and configuration of the unit;
- Does not require additional connections (oil supply and air flow cooling);
- Relatively low cost (about $150)
- Works in a wide range of revolutions (from the moment of launch);
- Inexpensive maintenance and lack of requirements for the quality of fuel and lubricants;
- Large selection of compressors of various types;
- Stable operation, increasing the service life of the internal combustion engine.
- Takes away engine power and increases fuel consumption (up to 30%);
- Low efficiency (up to 10% power increase).
A turbine is an engine that converts the kinetic energy of a gas into useful mechanical energy. talking plain language, the exhaust gases spin the turbine rotor, sucking in air from the outside into the combustion chamber, thereby increasing the explosive power of the motor. The peculiarity is that the turbine is installed at the outlet of the exhaust manifold, it requires connection to the engine lubrication system and installation additional cooling air - intercooler. In fact, the turbocharger is a dependent unit, implemented in internal combustion engine design, coefficient useful action which is very large and not limited by the potential of the engine. Therefore, they are used for main trucks and dump trucks.
Pros:
- High efficiency (explosive power at high speeds, power increase of 20-30% or more);
- Does not cause loss of engine thrust;
- Effectively works with both gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines;
- Low fuel consumption (relative to the compressor).
- The high price of the device (from 500 USD);
- Rigid binding to engine systems (lubrication and air cooling);
- Rapid overheating;
- Sensitivity to fuel;
- Low efficiency at low speeds (turbo lag);
- Difficulty in installation and maintenance;
- Reduced engine life.
Compressors assume a measured increase in power indicators with engine start-up and also fade when the spin-up peak is reached. It operates within the operating range ICE cycle and efficiency drops as power increases.
What to choose?
Which choice to make is up to each individual. No one undertakes to approve and openly declare the undisputed leadership of one or the other apparatus, because how many people have so many opinions. If you want to invigorate your car inexpensively and without much hassle, definitely choose a compressor. So did the guys who turned to us for advice. The bored engine to the foil no longer suited them, the compressor became for them a budget solution to the problem in dynamics. However, having remarkable volitional qualities and a tight wallet, choose of course a turbine that can make a Skoda Yeti with 1.4 liter engine Your wife in a serious crossover, with incredible dynamics. Think, weigh the pros and cons, and do right choice for myself!
New cars are less and less equipped with naturally aspirated engines, since turbines allow you to develop more power with a small volume. Russian drivers, however, are wary of turbo engines. And very in vain.
Turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines - what's the difference?
The difference is in how the air enters the engine cylinders.
- atmospheric motor
Air goes to where the pressure is lower. At atmospheric engine air goes into the cylinders under the action of the vacuum created on the intake stroke - the piston descends and draws air behind it. It doesn't get easier.
- supercharged motor
To force more air into the cylinders, forced boost comes to the aid of the pressure difference. Roughly speaking, a “big fan” is placed at the inlet. The design of such systems will be discussed briefly below.
Why does an engine need boost?
To increase engine power, you need to burn more fuel in it - the relationship is simple. But in order to burn more fuel, you need to supply a lot of air to the cylinders, almost a cubic meter for every liter of gasoline. The only question is how to make him do it? There are two main ways:
- Increase volume. It comes naturally, and for a long time designers went this way: they increased the number of cylinders, their volume and configuration. This is how the aviation W12 and V16 with a working volume of a hundred liters and a hook and the American seven-liter V8 for cars appeared ... Now we will not go into details and only state that this path is difficult. At some point big motor becomes too heavy, and further increase is impractical.
- Increase the amount of fuel burned without increasing the engine size. Indeed, why not just force more air into the cylinders so that you can burn a lot of gasoline? This is where boost comes to the rescue.
W12 engine development Volkswagen Group staged in different years for Audi A8L, Volkswagen Phaeton, Volkswagen Touareg, Bentley Continental Flying Spur and other premium models. Photo: w12cars.com
What are the main types of superchargers?
Basically, two methods are used to increase the intake pressure above atmospheric.
- Mechanical supercharger. At the inlet is an air pump - a compressor, which is driven by the crankshaft of the engine. Simple, but the engine has to turn it and spend part of the power on it.
- Turbocharger that uses energy exhaust gases. It is a double body of two metal "snails", in which two impellers rotate on one shaft. One of them spins the flow of exhaust gases escaping from the exhaust manifold. The second is spinning, as it is on the same shaft as the first, - it “drives” atmospheric air into the intake manifold.
We will not now go into the advantages and disadvantages of each of the schemes, as well as describe the history of their creation and development - this is a topic for a separate material. Here it is important for us to decide how supercharged engines are good.
What are the benefits of a supercharged engine?
High maximum power.
As we have already understood, due to supercharging, it is possible to increase the amount of fuel burned, and hence increase the engine power with a constant volume. Power can be increased many times, but the usual figure is 20–100% for serial engines.
stable torque.
In a conventional atmospheric engine, the intake pressure, and hence the amount of fuel burned, varies depending on the engine speed. At some speeds, the filling is maximum, and the engine works with full efficiency. On others, the filling of the cylinders is worse, and the moment developed by the engine is less.
In a modern turbo engine, the cylinder is filled by a turbine, and the electronics control the turbine. It becomes possible to always supply as much air as necessary for the most efficient combustion of the mixture, and so much that the engine hardware can withstand the load. This allows you to create the famous "shelf" of torque. This name comes from the type of torque graph, which on turbo engines really looks like a flat shelf.
Low fuel consumption.
It would seem a paradox. Supercharging allows you to inject more fuel while still being economical. How? The fact is that the working volume of turbo engines is smaller, and in general they are lighter. With supercharging, the engine pulls perfectly from the very bottom, and at low speeds there is less energy loss due to friction and higher efficiency. As a result, a turbo engine is more economical when driving slowly. And with a heavy load, no one considers fuel consumption, it’s not for nothing that there is an expression “to go with all the money”, especially since few people constantly drive in extreme modes.
On the graph of measuring power and torque Skoda Fabia RS TSI is seenthat in the range from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm, the engine develops 250 newton meters. This is called the “torque shelf”.
Why are people afraid of supercharged engines?
With full certainty, we can say that supercharged engines are at a higher stage of evolution than "aspirated". And yet, at the moment, most of the produced and sold cars are equipped with exactly classic engines, and not only in "backward" Russia, but also in "enlightened" Europe, not to mention the United States. Why?
The resource of turbines is small.
On average, the turbine gasoline engine serves up to a maximum of 120-150 thousand kilometers, and repairs are expensive. A mechanical drive supercharger is in theory “unkillable”, but it is a dying species, and where it is used, the resource is not taken care of.
The engine operates in more severe conditions.
The temperature and pressure in the cylinders of supercharged engines is much higher, which means that they wear out more. This is offset by the fact that turbo engines are initially built with a higher margin of safety for all systems.
However, it is quite true that the engine is more complicated, it has more sensors, more pipelines, more heating and leaking, and any breakdown in the control system can damage the motor itself or the turbine.
They say that the turbine gives unstable traction.
Indeed, on old supercharged engines, the turbine did not “respond” immediately - it took time for the exhaust gases to spin the impeller, and what was called “turbolag” was obtained. Now, with the introduction of new technologies (we will talk about them in more detail later), this problem is solved. "Purists", champions atmospheric engines argue that there is still no perfect connection between the movement of the gas pedal and traction, but for ordinary drivers these subtleties will not be obvious.
They say that turbocharged engines sound less "noble" than naturally aspirated ones.
Indeed, the turbine makes the exhaust sound not so bright and “thoroughbred”. But in full measure this can only be attributed to “large” motors - inline sixes or V8. Their sound is recognized as a certain ideal, and adding a turbocharger to them changes the sound dramatically.
According to audiophiles, "from the exhaust" the sound becomes fuzzy and smeared. The turbine works like a muffler, smoothing out exhaust gas pressure peaks and creating its own harmonics. If we are talking about ordinary in-line “fours”, then it cannot be said that the exhaust of such an engine initially sounds especially good, with the addition of a turbine to it, it becomes quieter, but uniqueness is hardly lost.
Exhaust acoustics specialists come to the aid of fans of a good engine sound. exhaust systems modern machines, that with supercharging, that without - the fruit of serious work, and the features of the sound primarily depend on the quality of the system settings and the wishes of the buyer.
Why do some sports car manufacturers still not recognize supercharging?
Indeed, such “respectable” cars as the Toyota GT86, Renault Clio RS and Honda do just fine without turbines and superchargers. Civic Type R. There are several main reasons for this:
- High power can be obtained without a turbine, but on condition that the engine develops it only at very high speeds. For example, 201 hp on the same Honda Civic The Type Rs are only available at 7,800 rpm, which is a lot for a non-racing engine.
- The supercharging system greatly increases the weight and size of small motors - it is impossible to make it really compact. For sports cars, this is important.
- Many people like the "twist" character atmospheric engines, the absence of any possible delays and the influence of air temperature, the "purity" of reactions and sound.
- In many racing disciplines, turbocharged engines are prohibited, but there are traditions of forcing naturally aspirated engines.
- On the "atmospheric" - more powerful engine braking under the release of gas, which is noticeable on small engines and, again, important for sports cars.
- In Japan and the US, where naturally aspirated "lighters" are still largely preserved, there are no such strict restrictions on fuel consumption as in Europe. A turbine motor is more expensive, but can produce high power at low consumption and at any altitude, even on the tops of the Alps. A motor without a turbine is simpler, less demanding on maintenance, especially when it is very high power not needed and high flow fuel and low thrust in the "non-racing" mode can be neglected. And do not underestimate the strength of the traditions of the national automotive industry.
However, little by little supercharging wins a place under the hood sports cars. First, Formula 1 abandoned the “aspirated”, and in March 2014 the first one made its debut in modern history turbocharged model Ferrari - California T, which received a "snail" after long break since the 288 and F40.
