Supercharging

• An engine running at constant speed will draw approximately the same amount of air per
unit time, whether the fuel is introduced into the air stream or not
• Supercharging is used to increase the power output by forcing the charge into the engine
at pressures above atmospheres
Effect of air capacity on indicated power:

The principal factors influencing the thermal efficiency include the fuel / air ratio, the engine
speed, the load or throttle opening, the nature of fuel, the dimensions of the engine, the
design of combustion chamber and the valve timing
Effect of Variables on Volumetric Efficiency:
1. Fuel:
• Gaseous fuels displace more incoming air
• Methanol and ethanol require smaller air/fuel ratios
• Around 60% of the fuel should evaporate in the
intake manifold
2. Heat Transfer in the Intake system
• Intake system temperature is generally higher than
the surrounding air temperature.
3. Valve Overlap
• Some of the exhaust gas may enter into the intake
system
• A lower engine speed and a greater valve overlap
period will both reduce the volumetric efficiency
4. Viscous Drag and Restrictions:
• Viscous drag concerned about high speeds. Viscous drag increases with the square of flow
velocity
5. Timing of Intake Valve Closing:
• The ideal time for closing the inlet valve is when the pressure inside the engine cylinder
becomes equal to the intake manifold pressure
6. Intake tuning:
• If the length of the intake manifold and the flow rate are such that the pressure waves
reinforce at the intake valve, slightly more air will enter into the cylinder
7. Exhaust residual:
• Hot residual gases settle in
clearance volume affects the
volumetric efficiency
8. Exhaust gas recirculation:
• Reduces
Methods of Supercharging:
Mechanical supercharging Turbocharging
1. Mechanical Supercharging
2. Turbocharging:
C for marine engines
D for high boost pressures
E turbo compounding
3. Pressure Wave supercharging
• The oscillatory motion of the
gases in the pipes of high speed
Two-stage turbocharging
engines during intake and Engine-driven compressor and turbocharger
exhaust gases produces a
pressure wave
• The exhaust system is so adjusted
that a rarefaction is built up near
the exhaust valve towards the
end of exhaust when the valves
overlap, more burnt gases will
flow out of the cylinder Turbocharging with turbocompounding Turbocharging with intercooler
Supercharging of SI Engine:
Limitations:
• Knocking may occur
• Fuel/air ratio
SI engines are rarely supercharged except, in the
cases where the engine output is of prime and
the efficiency and the fuel economy are not of
much importance
Aircraft and racing cars are normally
supercharged
Engines can be safely supercharged by using a
lower compression ratio, retarded ignition Fig.: Comparison of performance of supercharged and
unsupercharged SI engines
timing, rich mixtures, high octane fuels and
lengthening the ignition delay
Supercharging of CI Engine:
• The CI engine can be safely supercharged without any
combustion difficulties
• If the supercharge pressure is higher, the engine
becomes less sensitive to either the cetane number or
the volatility of the fuel. Hence, a wider range of fuels
can be used as long as high supercharge pressure can
be maintained at all speeds and loads
• Supercharging of compression ignition engine is
limited by thermal loading. By increasing the strength
of the materials of piston and valves, a higher degree
of supercharging of the CI engine is possible

Advantages of supercharging over high compression:

The great advantage of supercharging as compared to the
method of increasing the compression ratio for obtaining
the same imep, or output, is that max. pressure is
considerably less in the supercharger. The advantage of
this lower maximum value of peak pressure leads to less
heavy stress bearing components and thus a lighter
engine for the same output favours the supercharged
engine.
Effects of Supercharging:
1. Power output:
• Power output of supercharged engine is higer than the naturally aspirated engine (due to
increase in intake pressure, additional filling, positive gas exchange work etc.)

2. Fuel Consumption:
• The use of a lower CR, increased heat losses due to higher values of specific heats and
dissociation losses at higher temperatures, all result in lowering the thermal efficiency
and in producing higher bsfc for supercharged SI engines
• The bsfc for CI engines is some what lower than the naturally aspirated engines due to
better fuel distribution, improved combustion and increased mechanical efficiency

3. Mechanical efficiency:
• Mechanical efficiency increases with supercharging because increase in frictional losses
lower than power gained by supercharging

4. Volumetric efficiency:
• Due to possibility of contraction of residual gases, the volumetric efficiency increases.
However this increase is higher at lower compression ratios compared to higher
compression ratios
Supercharging limits:
For SI engines the knock limit is usually reached first, while for CI engines the load and
thermal stresses limits are reached first
1. Limits of SI engine:
• Usually the supercharged SI engines run on rich mixtures to control knock because
the lean limits of non-knocking are narrow and require very accurate control of the
mixture ratio
• Spark timing also affects the knock limit
2. Limits of CI engine:
I. Maximum permissible cylinder pressure
II. Maximum permissible piston temperature
Engine modifications for supercharging:
1. The valve overlap should be increased to allow complete scavenging
2. The CR should be reduced in order to increase the clearance volume. The effect of
this is to reduce mechanical and thermal loading on the engine
3. In the SI engine the spark timing should be retarded
4. In the CI engine the injection should be modified to supply increase amount of fuel
5. In turbocharger the exhaust valve should be opened a little earlier to supply more
energy to the turbocharger
Turbocharger Controls:
An ideal turbocharger should be able to provide the required intake air pressure (boost)
regardless of the operating point of the engine (speed and torque). This is not possible due
to the fact that the speed of the turbocharger shaft depends on the mass flow of the exhaust
gases, which depends on the engine operating point.
A turbocharger increases in its airflow rate much faster than an IC engine can adapt to the
increase in airflow
• Waste gate, Variable turbine geometry (VTG) or Variable nozzle turbine (VNT)
1. The Wastegate:
• Most common mechanical speed control system
This feature in the turbocharger consists of a bypass valve. It circumvents some part of the
exhaust gas going to the turbine and releases them into the outlet. Furthermore, the waste-
gate turbocharger has a bypass valve built into the turbine housing. It diverts some of the
exhaust gases away from the turbine wheel through this valve.
Waste Gate turbocharge has four types which depends upon how the wastegate valve
operates
1. Manual
2. Pneumatic
3. Electric
4. hudraulic
2. Variable Turbine geometry

• A small A/R ratio will increase the speed of the exhaust gas as it enters the turbine
wheel, the compressor will spin faster and provide an increase of intake air boost. A
negative effect of a small A/R ratio is the tangential flow of the exhaust gas into the
turbine wheel, which reduces the flow capacity of the turbocharger. The effect is an
increased backpressure in the exhaust manifold at high engine speeds, which
translates into difficult gas exchange (exhaust gas vs. intake air) of the engine and
reduced peak power.
• A large A/R ratio will improve the flow capacity of the turbocharger at high engine
speeds, reducing the backpressure in the exhaust manifold. This will improve the
engine’s capacity to “breathe” (exchange gas) at high speed and push the peak power
towards higher values. The drawback is that, at low and medium engine speeds, the
exhaust gas velocity will be lower (because of bigger flow area) and the increase of
intake air boost will be slower (turbo-lag).
 Variable geometry turbochargers means variable A/R ratios. The only plausible way of
getting a variable A/R ratio is by varying the cross-sectional area A of the exhaust gas flow.
The radius R will always be constant.
Compared with fixed geometry turbochargers, variable geometry turbochargers are
designed to:
• increase intake air boost pressure at low engine speed
• improve the response time of the turbocharger during transient engine operation
phases
• increase the availability of the maximum engine torque
• prevent over-boosting at high engine speed
• reduce exhaust gas emissions and improve fuel economy
Depending on the turbocharger manufacturer, there are several technical solutions
available in the automotive industry. Regardless of the mechanical system used, the
outcome is the same: use movable components to provide a variable cross sectional area A,
to get an overall variable A/R ratio.
The most common types of variable geometry turbochargers are:
1. pivoting vanes
2. moving wall
3. sliding ring
4. variable area
Pivoting vanes variable geometry turbochargers
Pivoting (rotating) vanes turbochargers are widely used in passenger vehicles applications
and they are the most common type of variable geometry turbochargers
The variation of the cross-sectional flow area of the turbine
is achieved by the rotating vanes (3). These are
mechanically linked to an adjustable ring (5), which is
controlled by the pneumatic actuator (9) through a
mechanical lever system (6).

Depending on the operating point of the engine, the engine

control module (ECM) is adjusting the air pressure in the
pneumatic actuator, which is closing or opening the pivoting
vanes.

At low engine speeds, the vanes are in a narrow position,

the cross-sectional area for the exhaust gas flow is small,
1. Turbine casing
the A/R ratio is at its minimum value and the velocity of
2. turbine wheel
the exhaust gas through the turbine at its maximum. This 3. vanes
translates into high compressor speed and high intake air 4. unison ring
boost. 5. adjustable ring
At high engine speeds, the vanes are in a wide position, the 6. lever system
7. compressor wheel
cross-sectional area for the exhaust gas flow is large, the
8. compressor casing
A/R ratio is at its maximum value and the velocity of the 9. pneumatic actuator
exhaust gas through the turbine at its minimum. The
compressor speed will be slower but enough to provide the
required intake air boost. Also, the flow capacity of the
turbine is increased, which will decrease the exhaust gas
backpressure and allow the engine to “breathe” normally.
The position of the vanes (A/R ratio) can be controlled between a minimum (fully closed)
and a maximum (fully open) position. The exact position of the vanes depends on the
operating point of the internal combustion engine (speed and torque) and is regulated by
the engine control module (ECM) or powertrain control module (PCM).

3. Variable Nozzle turbine:

It contains the sliding nozzle ring which alters the aperture through which the exhaust
gases flow onto the turbine wheel. This alteration in the geometry of the turbocharger
increases the boost as the is closed down. Reducing the aperture increases both the
exhaust manifold pressure and the turbocharger speed. As the nozzle ring opens up, the
exhaust pressure reduces and the turbocharger boost can decrease

At low rpm At high rpm

Fig.: Roots blower