Chapter 12

Supercharging and Turbocharging in I.C. Engines

12.1 Introduction
The power output of an engine depends on the amount of air inducted per
unit time, the degree of utilization of this air and the thermal efficiency of
the engine. The amount of air can be increased by increasing engine
speed or by increasing air density at intake. The method of increasing air
density called “Supercharging”. This is done by supplying a pressure
higher than atmospheric pressure at which the engine naturally aspirates
air from atmosphere. This is done by using a pressure boosting device
called a supercharger.

12.2 Objects of Supercharging

The increase in the amount of air inducted per time by supercharging is
obtained mainly to burn a greater amount of fuel in a given engine and
thus increases its power output. The objects of supercharging include one
or more of the following:
1. To increase the power output for a given weight and bulk of the
engine. This is important for aircraft, marine and automobile
engines where weight and space are important
2. To compensate the loss of the power due to altitude. This is mainly
relates to aircraft engines.
3. To obtain more power from an existing engine.

12.3 Thermodynamic cycle with supercharging

Fig. shows (p-v) diagram from an ideal Otto cycle supercharged engine.
Area (8-6-7-0-1-8) represents the work done by supercharging in
supplying air at a pressure P1 while the area (1-2-3-4-1) is the output of

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the engine. Area (0-16-7-0) represents a gain in work during as exchange
process due to supercharging. Area (1-6-8-1) represents the loss of work.

There are two important differences in the (p-v) diagram for supercharge
engine and natural aspiration engine which are:
1. Increase in power over the natural aspirated cycle.
2. The pumping loop of a supercharged engine is positive instead of
negative in natural aspirated engine.

12.4 Supercharging power

Power required for driving the supercharging can be calculated
considering the steady flow process as given in figure below:
Writing down the steady flow energy equation for this process we get:
p1v1 p v
E1   W  E2  2 2  Q
g g

Assuming the heat loss from supercharger is zero we get:

 p v   pv 
W   E 2  2 2    E1  1 1   h2  h1  C p T2  T1 
 g   g 

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T2 is the temperature at the end of compressor in the supercharger is
given by:
 1
 
  
T2  T1  T1    1 *
 p 2 1
 p1   s
 

Where  s adiabatic efficiency of supercharger

Work done/kg of air W  C p T2  T1 
 1
 
  
W  C p T1    1 *
 p 2 1
 p1   s
 

The horse power required to drive the supercharger is then given by:

ma.W
hp  where ma amount of air supplied by the supercharger.
4500

12.5 Supercharging of Petrol Engine

Supercharging is employed only for aircraft and racing car engine this is
because the increase in supercharging pressure increases tending to
detonate and pre-ignition. Increasing in the intake pressure and
temperature reduces ignition delay and increases flame speed, both these
effects result in greater tendency to detonate or pre-ignite. For this reason
the supercharged petrol engine employ low compression ratio.

Supercharged petrol engines have a greater SFC than naturally aspirated

engines.
Knocking can be controlled in high supercharged engines by injection of
water in combustion chamber. Another produce is to use to intercooling
of the charge before it fed to the engine. So because of its poor fuel
economy, supercharging is not very popular and is used only when more

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power is needed or when more power is needed to compensate altitude
loss.
12.6 Supercharging of Diesel Engine
The supercharging in diesel engine does not result in any combustion
problem, rather it improve combustion.

Hence the rate of pressure rise resulting in a better, quicker and smother
combustion.
The degree of supercharging is limited by the thermal and mechanical
load on the engine and strongly depends on the type of supercharger used
and the design of the engine.
The power can be supplied by a separate drive for the supercharger, or by
connecting the supercharger directly to the engine shaft. In all cases the
gain in power output of the engine would be many times more than the
power required to drive the compressor.
Q: what the supercharging limits in petrol and diesel engines?

12.7 Supercharger types

1. Reciprocating compressor: rarely used nowadays except for some
stationary installations, it’s quite bulky and heavy, high compression ratio
can be obtained, its efficiency (75-85) %
2. Van Blower
When the blades move, out air is inducted between spaces. The air is
discharged when these spaces near the exhaust side of the supercharger.
It’s noisy and had a limit speed.

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3.Lysholm compressor
Air is admitted at one end of the compressor and trapped between helical
rotors and casing. This type of compressor produces constant
compression. The main disadvantage of this compressor is its mechanical
complexity which has a limited use.

4. Roots Blower
It is consisting of two cylindrical shaped lobes rotating in opposite
directions in a common housing. Air enters the space between the rotor
lobes at the inlet and is carried around the rotor to discharge port.
Compression takes place only when discharge port is opened and the
pressure rise almost instantaneously. It’s noisy, simplicity, cheapness and
good mechanical efficiency, rotor does not require lubrication its suitable
for low and medium speed diesel engine for stationary and marine
applications.

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5. Centrifugal Compressor
It consists of an impeller rotating in a close fitted housing. Air enters the
hub of the impeller axially and is turned 90o by the radial vanes. A high
velocity is imparted to air due to centrifugal action. High velocity of air
from the tip of the radial vanes is passes to the diffuser where the pressure
is raised and the air is supplied to the engine it has a velocity of (10000-
15000) rpm for low speed and (15000-30000) rpm for high speed
engines. Centrifugal compressor is simple, small, cheap, good efficiency.
It’s commonly used for supercharging

One important disadvantage of this type of compressor is the occurrence

of surge. If the compressor working near surge limit and any reduction of
flow occurs, this will reduce efficiency of the compressor. Further reduce
of flow air to low values cause instability in the air supply.

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12.8 Turbocharger
Turbochargers are centrifugal compressors driven by exhaust gas
turbines. These are nowadays extensively used for supercharging all types
of two stroke engines. By utilizing the exhaust energy of the engine, it
recovers a substantial part of energy which would otherwise go waste.
Thus turbocharger will not draw on the engine power.
For the total heat input to an engine, there is about 27-30% of the energy
goes to exhaust. Apart of this energy can be used to run a gas turbine
which in turn will supply more air to the engine by driving a compressor.
Such of the exhaust energy boosts engine power and results in better
thermal efficiency and fuel consumption.

12.9 Methods of Turbocharging

1. Pulse operation
2. Constant pressure
3. Pulse converter

12.10 Limitation of Turbocharging

1. The use of turbocharger requires special exhaust manifolds.
2. Fuel injection has to be modified to inject more fuel per time; this
requires either large pumping element or large nozzles
3. The efficiency of turbine blades is very sensitive to gas velocity so that
it’s very difficult to obtain a good efficiency over a wide range of
operation.
4. Naturally aspirated engine allow soild particles without any stress, but
turbocharged engine pass only most minute materials particles without
damage.