Compressor or turbine - which is better? Supercharger Features

Every year, automakers are trying to improve not only the design, but also the technical characteristics of the machines. Improvements relate to all aspects, including the engine. Now for several decades, various types of superchargers have been installed on many cars. They are designed to improve the power and torque of the motor. There are two types of superchargers. This is a compressor and a turbine. What's better? The difference, the pros and cons of both units - in our article.

mechanical compressor or turbine which is better

Appointment

As we said earlier, these devices are designed to improve engine performance. Their function is to force the air into the intake manifold of the engine. Oxygen enters the chamber in large volumes, thereby increasing the return and efficiency. But in order to understand which is better - a compressor or a turbine, we will consider each mechanism separately.

Compressor features

This is a mechanical supercharger, which can be of several types:

  • Screw.
  • Rotary.
  • Centrifugal.

Compressors began to be installed on cars long before the advent of turbines - around the 50-60s of the last century. Now, such units are practically not used. The latest manufacturers to install the compressors are Mercedes and the Range Rover.

mechanical compressor

Pros and cons

Which is better - a compressor or a turbine? Cars with a compressor have several advantages:

  • Reliability. The device of such a mechanism is very simple, and therefore breakdowns are practically excluded.
  • No dips during sharp acceleration.
  • No need for additional cooling and lubrication.
  • Low probability of overheating.
  • Great engine life.

Answering the question which is better - a compressor or a turbine, it is worth considering the disadvantages of the first mechanism. The main disadvantage is the low compressor performance. So, the unit can increase power by no more than 10 percent. Today this is a very small indicator, for which manufacturers do not dare to complicate the design of the car and make it more expensive.

And all because the mechanism is activated thanks to the crankshaft pulley. That is, the compressor efficiency directly depends on the rotation of the pulley. And since the speed of each engine is limited, the efficiency of the mechanical supercharger will not be too high.

Turbocharger Features

Which is better - a compressor or a turbine? Now consider the features of a turbocharger. A similar mechanism is independent of the crankshaft. It works on a different principle.

compressor or turbine which is better for a vaz

The impeller rotates due to the exhaust stroke. The turbine has a cold and hot part. Gases move through the latter, forcing the impeller of the cold part to work. The number of revolutions per minute is many times greater than that of a mechanical supercharger. Hence the performance. As practice shows, due to boost you can increase power up to 40 percent, with virtually no loss of resource.

Thus, the main advantage of the turbine is its performance. In addition, there is the possibility of chip tuning, which allows you to increase the motor power by another couple of percent. But the flaws are obvious.

As engine power increases, so does the load on the crank mechanism. It follows that the parts must be reliable. But this is not always the case, especially on chipped ICEs. Often, the CABG does not withstand such loads, and therefore the motor resource is reduced significantly.

The norm for turbocharged engines is considered a resource of 150 thousand kilometers (if we take into account modern TSI). Also, the turbine often likes to eat up oil. Its consumption is from one liter per 10 thousand kilometers (and this is on a serviceable engine). In addition, the oil must be of high quality. Otherwise, the engine resource will be even less.

compressor or turbine what's the best difference

Engines with a compressor have no such problems. They do not require oil and do not load the engine like that. Accordingly, any compressor motor will be more resourceful than a turbocharged one.

But, as statistics show, more and more manufacturers prefer to use exactly the second type of boost. This is especially true for diesel units. They have a more solid structure, and the working speed is not as high as that of gasoline. However, after 250 thousand kilometers, problems arise with them.

Which is better to choose?

So let's summarize. Which is better - a mechanical compressor or a turbine? There is no definite answer to this question. Everyone chooses based on requirements and preferences. If the priority is a resource, you should limit yourself to a compressor and be content with 10 percent of additional power. But if you want maximum return, here the choice will be obvious - only the turbine. However, one must always remember that such an engine can suddenly β€œend” - it will require repair of the turbine or parts of the crankshaft.

Consider the choice in terms of tuning. What is better on a VAZ - compressor or turbine? Many people choose the second option, since the resource of VAZ engines is already insignificant.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/F9129/


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