Difference Between

[Ryan1]

Whats the difference between a Turbocharger and a Supercharger?


Ryan

 

[B94Sport]

A turbocharger uses exhaust gasses to spin a turbine to create boost, whereas as supercharger runs off of the drive belt. A turbocharger will make more boost because it can spin faster and does not run off of the engine, but it requires a certain amount of exhaust gas to spin the turbine at a speed that will create boost. Thus, turbo lag. In other words, a turbocharger will only produce boost above a certain RPM. A supercharger, however, will produce boost throughout the power band, but will produce less boost than a turbocharger because it spins slower and is itself a drain on the engine because it is powered by the engine.

If we want to get technical, a turbocharger is a supercharger because by definition a supercharger is ANY device that creates boost... Turbos and Superchargers both create boost, they just do it differently.

 

[Magicfan25]

thats pretty close, but some details for ya...

Turbo lag, with a properly sized turbo and a good exhaust system you wont have it.
Also turbos create lots of heat, an intercooler is a must where you can run a super charger without one (to a certain point anyhow)

A centrifugal supercharger (looks alot like a turbo) makes some boost down low but peaks up higher and runs off the accessory belt.

A turbo doesnt always spin faster either. In the case of a positive displacement supercharger ( Eaton, KB, autorotor etc..) they actually multiply the engine speed with gears in the snout. I believe a Lightning when spinning nearly 5.5k rpm the blower is spinning just over 12k rpms. This type of blower produces nearly maximum boost at looooow RPM and produces much more torque than a centrifugal will.

Overall the turbo is much more effecienct and at a lower boost level will produce more power than either type of supercharger running a higher boost level.

 

[B94Sport]

Originally posted by Magicfan25
A turbo doesnt always spin faster either.

Maybe I wasn't being clear... I did not mean that a turbo always spins faster than the engine crank, I meant that it spins faster than a supercharger would... Turbo the lightning and the turbo will probably spin at 150,000 RPM, whereas the supercharger is only spinning at 12,500 RPM.