Turbochargers are used to make small engines putout a lot of power while still remaining fuel efficient. Beyond BMW turbochargers and Audi turbochargers, even family cars offer turbocharged models these days. Before you get aturbocharged vehicle there are a few things you should be aware of.
 |
| Hyundai Sonata Turbo |
A turbocharger or “turbo” is a purely mechanical device thatboosts engine power by pushing air into the engine. This allows the engine toburn more fuel with every revolution, making it more powerful. Cars withoutturbochargers are referred to as “naturally aspirated.” Turbochargers allow automakers to decreasethe size of the engine while maintaining the same amount of power and improvefuel economy.
A turbo is attached to the engine near the exhaust manifold.Gasses coming directly out of the engine pass through the turbo first, spinninga turbine inside at thousands of revolutions per minute. The turbo uses thispower to pressurize the fresh air going into the engine, forcing more air inthan it would normally.
It’s like a pair of big fans, one being driven by theexhaust gases and the other pushing air into the engine. The fans are connectedso the exhaust gasses spinning the first fan also spin the fan pushing thefresh air into the engine. The cars computer reads the increased oxygen cominginto the engine and thus compensates with more fuel to create the properair-fuel mixture. This makes the explosions in the cylinders bigger and morepowerful, thus making the engine more powerful.
It is desirable because you get an increase in power andfuel efficiency. The turbo is driven by the exhaust gasses so it only goes asfast as your engine’s output of exhaust; so basically it only works hard whenyou need it to.
The downside is, in the beginning turbos got a badreputation for failing frequently. They had also been known to “lag,” meaningthere was a slight delay between the driver pressing on the gas and the turbopushing more air into the engine. Both problems have since been addressed throughadvanced new designs and modern technology. It is true however that turbos havemore parts than naturally aspirated engines, which make them more expensive tomanufacture. This usually translates to a higher price tag.
Many modern vehicles come with turbocharged models.Volkswagen, Ford, and Chevy all have family cars on the market that haveturbocharged models for sale. By providing more power and greater fuel economy,turbocharged vehicles are a great option for today’s families.
Source: Aol Autos
