The Physics of Turbo Chargers

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Do you want your car to pick up speed faster? How about adding a turbo booster on that engine under your automobiles hood. A turbo charger is a very efficient way to gain power. To fully understand the function of this component, lets look at the physics behind it. The Ideal Gas model has much to do in turbo chargers. I will explain the theory and components like the compressor, turbine, intercooler, wastegate, and the BOV.

Matter is assumed to be composed of an enormous number of very tiny particles which are indestructible. Gas is a state of matter. These tiny particles are separated by relatively large distances, which interact elastically. This large space between the particles make it easy to compress a gas. Which gives low mass to volume ratio. Particles must be in continual motion. These particles are very fast (usually about 500 meters per second). The molecules in a gaseous state have enough kinetic energy to be essentially independent of each other.

Pressure is a main factor in turbo chargers. Pressure is the force exerted on a surface divided by the area of the surface (force per unit area). Decreasing the volume increases the pressure. The average speed of the molecules do not change. If we increase the number of particles in a same volume, we expect the pressure to increase because there would be more frequent collisions between the particles and the walls of the space. Temperature is also very important. If the temperature of the gas increases, the speeds of the particles also increase. Pressure and volume are inversely proportional, (by Boyle’s Law) as one increases, the other must decrease. Gases want to flow from a high pressure area to a low pressure area. The greater the difference, the faster they flow. I...

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...the shock waves created by a shift, which acts as a brake, slowing the turbo and requiring it to be spooled up again. We lose boost pressure but keep our turbo speed this way.

Turbo chargers are very efficient in giving extra power to engines, even though they do make your auto burn more fuel. All the components of turbos are important in the function of them. Turbo chargers will really make your life better especially if you are on the racing track.

Works Cited

No author found, Renault Gt Turbo. Turbo Fundamentals http://freespace.virgin.net/c.coleman//turbo.htm

Dennis Grant Turbo Fundamentals. How Turbos Work or The Closest Thing to a Free Lunch. Http://www.turboclub.com/turboFun1.htm

Kirkpatrick & Wheeler, Physics A World View. Copyright 2001, 1998, 1995, 1992 by Harcourt, Inc.

http//www.harcourtcollege.com Printed in the United States of America

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