SUPERCHARGERS | How They Work

Cargo belt! Compressor! Blower! Supercharger Superchargers are basically air compressors that scream like a banshee as

they

force more oxygen into the engine so

they

can make more power. But wait, don't turbos do that too? They do. We already talked about turbos and you can watch that video. Technically, turbos are actually just another type of supercharger. They were originally known as turbo

superchargers

, before everyone realized there were too many syllables to say it all. Turbo, sounds better. Today, we use the name "supercharger" for engine air compressors that are not turbos. But if turbos and

superchargers

do the same thing, what's the damn difference?

Turbos are driven by the engine's own exhaust gases and superchargers are mechanically driven by belts that are driven by the engine. Both are considered dynamic compressors, where air is accelerated to high speeds and then decelerated to increase pressure. The air enters an impeller, where centrifugal force throws it into the compressor casing, where the velocity is compressed to high pressure. More air, more gas, more boom. More air, more gasoline, more boom! -boom's SFX centrifugal superchargers are small and relatively easy to install. But the power delivery, well, it's a little spicy. Once they start spinning, centrifugal force really takes off and the supercharger can churn up the air surprisingly quickly. *Supercharger noises* Since this type of supercharger

work

s like a turbo, it has the same concern.

In particular, they take a little time to get going and don't tend to run well at low RPMs. and they don't tend to run well at low RPM. -Boo! -You suck! But guess that? -That? There are other types of superchargers! There are other types of superchargers! -Hurrah! I'm talking about positive displacement superchargers, and there are two main types of them. One is the twin screw supercharger. It is sometimes called Lysholm. And it moves the same amount of air, per revolution, no matter how fast things grow. It is sometimes called Lysholm. And it moves the same amount of air, per revolution, no matter how fast things grow. -Applause.

That means you get instant, consistent boost at any RPM, even off the line. Inside the twin-screw supercharger are...wait for it...TWO BIG SCREWS! They are slightly conical rotors. One is masculine and one feminine, and they intertwine as they spin. Intriguing. Intriguing. -Eeeww! The action draws air from an inlet at the rear of the supercharger. The air is compressed as it moves through the female rotor, which tapers toward the front, to be fired toward the inlet. Once it reaches the entrance, it is denser air. More air, in the same space, can absorb more gas and generate more boom.

The second type of positive displacement supercharger, and by far the most popular, is the Roots type supercharger. And they can get quite large. Think Mad Max. *supercharger spools* Roots was the absolute OG supercharger design, and was first patented by Philander and Frances Roots in 1860. They created it to help ventilate blast furnaces and mine shafts. It turns out that Roots superchargers are excellent fans. Then Gottlieb Daimler of Daimler Benz patented it for use in internal combustion engines. The first supercharged vehicles were the Mercedes Kompressor models, which went on sale in 1923. Yes. Kompressor with a "K" is not a new-age marketing plan.

It's a hundred-year-old marketing plan. -We buy golf clubs! Inside the Roots supercharger, there are two spinning rotors with interlocking lobes. But unlike twin screw ones, these are identical and symmetrical rotors. Air is trapped in the spaces between the lobes as they rotate, moving it around the outside of the rotors from the inlet at the top to the bottom of the supercharger. Aside from the shape of the rotor, the biggest difference between twin-screw superchargers and Roots is that air is not compressed inside the Roots charger. The rotor drives them towards the motor. That's why they are called blowers!

That's why they are called blowers! -Oh! Compressed air gets hot, remember? And that makes him want to extend himself. Turbos usually send compressed air to an intercooler to cool it. But superchargers are typically mounted just above the intake of an engine. Therefore, your intercooler is usually there too. A coolant passes through to cool the intercooler. And the compressed air is cooled just before entering the engine. I'm going to go look for it. This is a 2018 Roush Performance Phase 1 supercharger. Roush has been in the performance engineering business for over four decades and this kit for the 2018 Mustang GT is their latest innovation in superchargers.

While most root blowers have three lobes and a sixty-degree swivel, this kit features twin four-lobe rotors rotated at 170 degrees, providing a more efficient and powerful system. The helix angled fourth lobe, i.e. twist, in these uniquely designed inlet and outlet ports, provides better thermal efficiency, more efficient airflow, and improved noise and vibration characteristics. Good ideas, guys! Because the supercharger comes off the crankshaft, air is constantly moving and a lot of air ends up building up in the intake no matter what speed you're going. Either a twin screw or roots make an engine act as if it has larger displacement, so throttle response is exactly the same as you would expect from a naturally aspirated car.

That means no delays! (slowed down) Without delay! We measure superchargers by how much air they can move with one rotation. The R2650 Roush Performance Phase One supercharger gets its name here because it can move 2650cc of air to the engine each time it makes a full 360-degree rotation. At 2.65 liters, this is the largest Roush Phase One kit ever created. Do you want to see what 2.65 liters are like? 2nd Bart: Alright, buddy. Just a little more. That's a lot... that would be a lot of air. *bottle falls* Same thing, can I buy some space? This is the amount of air that blower can get into your engine with just one revolution.

Since you can't just blow in more air and call it a day, automotive performance companies that make superchargers also make them available with kits. A performance kit has other things you need to help these blowers do their job without messing things up. This kit from Roush is what they call a complete supercharger kit, because it comes with the supercharger, *Bart holding the supercharger like a guitar* custom aluminum upper and lower manifolds, an air-to-water intercooler, and an ECU upgrade . That's a lot of things. . But it's because you're changing a lot of variables. These components are designed, manufactured and tested to

work

perfectly.

And the best part is that it also gives you a lot of power. This blower, properly installed, adds 240 horsepower and 180 ft/lbs for a total of 700 horsepower and 610 ft/lbs. Damn heat! And if installed by an ASD-approved dealer or technician, it has a 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty. That's crazy! SUPERCHARGERS! Subscribe to Donut. It means a lot to us, and the more you subscribe, the more cool things we can do with you. This was in blowers, you asked for it. What do you want to watch? Do you like learning about superchargers? You will love learning about turbochargers. If you like things that go fast, check out this episode of WheelHouse, where Nolan talks about his friend.

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