Super charger acts as an air compressor. It is used to increase the density and pressure of the air that is supplied to the internal combustion engine. In the engine, during the intake of the cycle it takes more oxygen and burn more fuel to accomplish the work. This is due the power increase.
By using the belts, gears, shafts, chains all of these are connected to the engines crank shaft to produce super charge.
We can see two types of the super chargers. To that matter after super charging, the air enters into the engine. After compression the pressure in the air is compressed and it super charges the system by 1.5 to 2 times to increase the entry of the pressure.
In one type of the super charger the engine shaft is mechanically linked to the shaft. The shaft energy must turn into useful work input for the super charger.
In another type of the super charger the compressor is attached to the turbine. Exhaust gas must be allowed to enter into the turbine. The turbine drives the super charger; this type of super charger is known as the turbo
Super charger drive types:
They are divided into mechanical, exhaust gas turbine and other types:
Mechanical drives are divided into four types they are belt drive, chain drive, direct drive and gear drive.
Exhaust gas turbines are divided into two types they are radial turbine and axial turbine.
And the other type of the drives is electrical motor and auxiliary power unit.
Advantages of supercharger:
- The work output and the overall efficiency of the engine must be increased by 50% of the supercharger.
- At the higher heights, the low density air is converted into the normal density air.
- In the supercharge engine the specific fuel consumption is saved
- In the volumetric efficiency of the super charger engine will be higher
- To run the super charger, exhaust gas must be re-circulated in the engine. In this case the work input will be increases.
- In the super charged engine the scavenging is improved.
Disadvantages of supercharger:
- On the engine, different moving parts are observed like the thermal stress, mainly on the bearing of the engine shafts.
- So it results in the wear and tear in the moving parts
- We need to replace the parts frequently in the engine
- During the time of compression stroked by the piston there is a leakage of the air in the super charge engine
- Due to the super charging, the temperature of the air entering the engine cylinder will be higher.
- The detonation tendency of the engine increases.
- In the petrol engine, the detonation reduces so inter coolers are used to increases the size of the engine.