I was having a debate with a friend about the difference between supercharged and turbocharged engines, and let’s just say………I won that debate. First of all, they are not “the same” and second, the question “which is better?” is not a simple question to ask and the only answer I’ll give you is that….it depends!

Both superchargers and turbochargers have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Selecting the right kind of forced induction for your vehicle will depend upon your particular vehicle, your driving habits, your power preferences, and your needs.

Generally speaking, while the supercharger is considered to be a better method of forced induction for most vehicles, the turbocharger will always have its place in a more specialized market. Superchargers generally provide a much broader powerband that most drivers are looking for with no turbo lag.

Incase you’re wondering, I am a turbo enthusist.. hands down!

“The supercharger is more linear than the turbo. but when the turbo spools it gives you almost constant boost from start to end, so it gives you max torque that whole range. turbo lag also depends on the size of the turbo the bigger the turbo the more laggy it is and the greater the push in the bum! but a reasonably sized turbo will have so little lag it’ll be hard to notice. While a supercharger will give you max boost only at max rpm.” Thanks Salem

Here are the fundamentals of both engines by which many of you might already know, and if not….

Supercharged
1. A supercharger is mounted to the engine and is driven by a pulley that is in line with the crank belt. Air is drawn into the supercharger and compressed by either an impeller (centrifugal-style supercharger), twin rotating screws (screw-type supercharger), or counter-rotating rotors (roots-type supercharger).
2. The air is then discharged into the engine’s intake. Faster crank speed (more engine rpm) spins the supercharger faster and allows the supercharger to produce more boost (normally 6 to 9 psi for a street vehicle).
3. Typical peak operating speeds for a supercharger are around 15,000 rpm (screw-type and roots style superchargers) and 40,000 rpm (centrifugal-style superchargers).

Turbocharged

1. A turbocharger operates in much the same way as a centrifugal (internal impeller) supercharger, except it is not driven by pulleys and belts attached to the engine’s crank.
2. A turbo is instead driven by exhaust gasses that have been expelled by the engine and are traveling through the exhaust manifold.
3. The exhaust gas flows through one half of the turbocharger’s turbine, which drives the impeller that compresses the air. Typical operating speeds of a turbocharger are between 75,000 and 150,000 rpm.

Bottom line: their differences and similarities depend on the lag, efficiency, surge, heat, back pressure, reliability, noise, tunability, ease of installation, and maximum power output.

Posted in: Cars, Racing by t916