TURBO vs SUPERCHARGER: Which One Is Better? Forced Induction Explained

[00:00] In the world of high-performance engines, there are two main paths to unleash explosive power, ways to make an engine breathe harder than it was originally designed to force induction. And within that technology, the debate is legendary, almost as old as the systems themselves.

[00:17] Turbo or supercharger, both aim for the same ultimate goal, to push more air into the engine, allowing it to burn more fuel and thus produce more power. But it both seek to increase power by injecting extra air.

[00:31] What is the fundamental difference between a turbo and a supercharger? And which one is truly better? Force induction is based on a simple but effective principle. A combustion engine generates power

[00:43] by burning a mixture of air and fuel. The more air you can force into cylinders, the bigger the explosion, and the more power generated in each cycle, force induction systems use a compressor to force that extra air in. This is where turbos and superchargers take different paths

[01:00] in how they drive that compressor. Let's first talk about the turbocharger or simply turbo. This is an ingenious system that makes use of energy that would otherwise go to waste, the energy from hot exhaust gases exiting the engine. A turbo consists of two main components

[01:16] connected by a shaft, a turbine and a compressor. The turbine sits in the path of the exhaust gases. As these gases rush out of high speed and temperature, they spin the turbine blades at extremely high

[01:29] speeds, often exceeding 150,000 revolutions per minute. Since the turbine is connected to the compressor, the latter, located at the fresh air intake of the engine, is driven at the same speed.

[01:41] The compressor acts like a high speed fan that draws an air compresses it and forces it into the engine cylinders at a pressure higher than atmospheric. The key advantage is that it uses a free

[01:53] energy source. The exhaust gas as the engine has already produced. The turbo's greatest strength is its efficiency. By using waste energy, it enables an engine to be more powerful and potentially more fuel efficient than a naturally aspirated engine a similar output, or even a supercharge one.

[02:10] Turbos can deliver high peak power from relatively small engines. However, their biggest historical drawback is the infamous turbo lag. Turbine needs time to spool up from the exhaust flow,

[02:26] which means there's a slight delay between pressing the accelerator and feeling the full boost. While modern technology has greatly reduced this lag, it can still be noticeable. If you want to learn more about turbo lag, we've already made a video on that. You'll find it in the comments.

[02:42] Now, let's move on to the supercharger. This is also a compressive design to force extra air into the engine, but its method of operation is fundamentally different. It's directly connected to the engine's crankshaft, usually via belt or gear system. This means that unlike a turbo,

[02:59] the supercharger draws power directly from the engine. As soon as the engine starts spinning, the supercharger spins with it, compressing air from very low RPM.

[03:12] There are various types, such as roots type, with rotating lobes or centrifugal, similar to a turbine but mechanically driven. The supercharger's main advantage is instant response.

[03:24] Since it's mechanically linked to the engine, it delivers boost immediately, even from idle. This results in a very linear and predictable power delivery. Without the turbo's characteristic lag,

[03:37] mechanically, they are simpler in concept, though not always in design, since they don't deal directly with hot exhaust gases. Its main drawback is parasitic loss. Because it takes power from the engine

[03:49] to drive itself, a supercharger consumes some of the crankshaft's output to compress air. While the power adds is far greater than what it consumes, it's not as energy efficient as a turbo,

[04:01] which runs on waste energy. Superchargers also tend to add a distinct sound, often described as a wine or whistle, so which is better. Traditionally, turbos have been favored for high rev efficiency and

[04:14] maximum power, while superchargers have been preferred for aggressive response and instant torque at low rpm. However, modern technologies like variable geometry turbos, more efficient superchargers, have blurred some of those lines. In fact, some high performance engines even use both systems to

[04:31] combine the best of both worlds. And you, which one do you think is better?