GT_1

im kinda new to the car world, and i wanted to know if someone would inform me on how do turbochargers and superchargers work, and which one is better?

Thanks

jim968

Both are air pumps. In a normally-aspirated engine, the only thing moving air into the cylinder on the intake stroke is atmospheric pressure (1 bar, or 14.7 psi). With a turbo or supercharger, this air is pumped to a higher pressure, so more is put into the cylinder, and you can thus burn more fuel, making more power.

Turbo is driven by a turbine (!) in the exhaust stream, thus recovering otherwise wasted energy. Supercharger is usually driven by a belt like your A/C, thus is an extra parasitic load on the engine. Turbo has lag as the turbine speeds up; supercharger doesn't. Turbos are usually more complex installations, with more parts & potential problems, but are more efficient.

"Which is better?" I ain't even going there. Depends on what you want to do, and opinions still vary. Top fuel uses supercharging; over-the-road trucks use turbos.

Try a search with Google for both terms; I'm sure you'll find more info.

Jim, only half-awake...