Just what the heck is a turbocharger

If you're shopping for a vehicle today, you've probably seen turbochargers being featured in more cars. Automakers are positioning them as a miracle device that can not only improve engine performance, but fuel economy as well. It may sounds like BS, but it isn't. There are some pretty huge benefits to using a turbo in modern engines. So just how do they accomplish these amazing feats of engineering in the first place.

Turbochargers, along with their ancestor the supercharger, have been around for a long time. Both of these are known as "forced induction" devices.

In a standard car engine, it sucks air in, mixes it with fuel, burns it in the engine, then spits the exhaust out the back. A lot of energy and heat is wasted in that exhaust, but what if we could harness it to boost power? That's exactly what a turbo does.

A turbocharger has two chambers. One is connected to the exhaust. As the hot gasses leave the engine, they spin a turbine. The other chamber has a blower that's connected to the car's air intake. The turbine drives the blower to pump large amounts of high pressure air into the engine. If you've ever heard a diesel truck make that characteristic "whoosh" when they start moving, that's the sound of the turbocharger's turbine spinning up.

With more air entering the engine, the fuel has more oxygen. Since the gasoline burns more completely, this can greatly boost efficiency, resulting in more power with less fuel consumption from smaller engines.

So why aren't all cars equipped with turbochargers?

For starters, turbo equipped cars cost more money than regular "naturally aspirated" engines. Additionally, adding more moving parts means greater likelihood of something failing. Turbochargers can also be easily damaged if they're revved too high, too quickly, or get bogged down in the wrong gear.

Some drivers also might not like what auto enthusiasts call "turbo lag". Like a jet engine, the turbine takes a bit to "spool up" from idle, resulting in a delay between hitting the gas and your engine producing its full power. Small turbocharged engines may feel a but sluggish off the line before pasting you back into your seat. Naturally aspirated engines don't have this problem.

Despite the drawbacks, turbos aren't going away anytime soon. Automakers are being pushed to increase fuel economy, and turbochargers are a cheap, tried and true way to get better mileage and sporty power from smaller engines. You might want to consider one for your next car if you want the most boost with the least juice.

Photo by SFoskett, via Wikimedia