Definition of a Turbo Engine
Turbo engines, front introduced for piston propeller-powered aircraft to amplify gigantic altitude performance, hog invaded the plentiful reciprocating internal combustion scene over the ended 80 senility. At ahead introduced to automotive racing engines, many passenger cars double time cover turbo-charged engines to derive also horsepower upon entail than would otherwise be credible with usually aspirated engines. Turbo charged engines harness the power impact of piston engine exhaust gases to spin a competency turbine, which in turn drives a compressor turbine on the equivalent shaft that forces air into the engine's combustion chambers at higher than atmospheric pressure.
Theory
Normally, aspirated four-stroke internal combustion piston engines are limited to atmospheric pressure to push combustion air into the cylinders through the intake system as the piston draws air down through the intake valve on the intake stroke. Turbochargers pressurize the air entering the intake system to a point above atmospheric pressure, dramatically increasing the density of the intake charge, which is then compressed on the compression stroke. As the denser mixture is ignited, more power is unleashed to push the piston down, and engine horsepower goes up. Since the compressor turbine is directly driven by the hot exhaust turbine--the latter using energy that was formerly released to atmosphere through the exhaust--this added power is almost free, especially when compared to mechanical supercharging that uses a portion of power from the crankshaft to drive the compressor.
Two Motivations
Turbochargers increase the temperature of the incoming combustion air, so intercoolers are often employed, which use ambient temperature air to cool the compressed charge. Sometimes, the turbocharger packs too much air into the engine, so waste gates are used to bypass some exhaust around the turbo.
Exhilaration
As with many other automotive innovations, turbocharging as a performance strategy has attracted a huge following--there is something about the way the vehicle starts to fly as that turbine whine builds that takes enthusiasts into ecstasy.Besides the obvious increase in horsepower, turbochargers allow piston engines to deliver their rated power at higher altitudes where the air is significantly thinner. This is what inspired the first turbocharging in aircraft engines in the early 1900s. Automobiles that are driven in high mountainous terrain benefit, too. Turbocharging also allows the use of smaller displacement engines that normally operate conservatively to generate high power only upon demand, making them intrinsically more economical than conventional engines when driven normally.
