As both customers and regulators demand cleaner, more efficient cars, the automotive industry is busy at work trying to revolutionize the way our vehicles are powered. Tesla and Nissan are some of the manufacturers which are in the process of bringing the battery-powered electric cars to the mainstream, while Toyota, Honda and Hyundai are producing practical hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. However, it still seems we are some ways off from switching completely from oil, because with current battery technology, battery electric cars are more expensive, go far less for their longer refueling time than their gasoline and diesel powered counterparts, although they’re catching up very, very quickly. As for hydrogen- fueled cell cars, we still have yet to work out how to make liquid hydrogen available to the masses, and until then, there will only be limited quantities available (so limited in fact, if you live in the U.S, hydrogen fuel-cell cars are only available in California). So while those guys catch up, the best thing we can do is to improve what we have, the internal combustion engine and make it more efficient and less polluting. One of the ways of doing that is by moving away from big, thirsty engines and make smaller, more frugal engines that won’t drink as much fuel as their bulky cousins. But the problem is that we can only squeeze out so much power from small engines without stressing their components, and the more stressed an engine’s components are, the less it’s going to last; which is a problem, because things sports cars, trucks and SUVs all need power. Enter forced induction: devices that force more air to mix with the fuel, which cause bigger explosions, which equals more power and higher efficiency. These devices have been around for decades now, but they still continue to be an innovative and most prevalent solution to give small engines the power boost they need. Chances are, your car already has forced induction; if not, your next car probably will, because engines are only going to get smaller, and many manufacturers have already turned to forced induction for their new engines, making these three forced induction technology one of the most relevant technology in the automotive field right now.
1.Turbochargers
Turbos are the most popular form of forced induction right now, almost all major auto manufacturers currently build at least one engine that uses a turbocharger or two, everything from the Ford Fiesta to the Ferrari 488 GTB uses turbochargers. These devices are essentially turbines that spin using the pressure from the engine’s exhaust gas to suck in more outside air for the engine, meaning less of the car’s fuel goes to waste because they are used once more before they are exhausted as gas. It’s an extremely efficient design, allowing tiny engines like Ford’s 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine to produce 350 horsepower, as much as the much larger 3.7 liter V6 engine of a Nissan 370Z Nismo. And because it’s basically fan, it allows compact packaging and liberal configurations depending on the manufacturer’s needs. Whether you’re an engineer trying to design an engine that can get 40 mpg on the highway or trying to squeeze extra wave of power from your engine, turbos are the most popular answer.
2. Superchargers
Superchargers may be the oldest form of forced induction in this lineup, but it can still kick it just fine to this day. The most successful fighter plane of World War 2 and some of the world’s most desirable automobiles had supercharged engines powering them. Geared towards giving engines more power and less focused on efficiency, they make an attractive option for high-performance sports cars. Supercharged cars like the Jaguar F-Type R and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 may have big, powerful engines already, but they would’ve made much less power than they do if it wasn’t for the supercharger. They do the same job as the turbochargers, fanning in extra air to the engine, but because they’re driven by the rotating power of the engine itself via a belt, they don’t have to wait for any air pressure, meaning there was no delay in power delivery. Something turbochargers didn’t have because you had to wait until adequate pressure buildup in the exhaust. But because they are driven by not the engine’s waste but by the engine itself, it’s more inefficient by design, which put off some manufacturers from using it. Nonetheless, supercharging still remains as a popular choice for forced induction.
Whether it’s turbos or superchargers, more and more manufacturers will turn to one of these devices in the future to provide the efficiency that the planet desperately needs and the power and the fuel mileage that customers want. If my car can make as much power as a V8 Mustang while being just as fuel efficient as a little hatchback, yes please, I’ll take it. The next time you buy a car, pay more attention for the turbo or the supercharger, because it means you’re in for a little extra treat.
