The turbocharger might seem like an extremely complicated element of a car, but it isn’t. It’s actually pretty simple when you break it down. Luckily for you, that’s exactly what we’re going to do for you here today. Below, we’re going to outline and explain the components of the turbo charging system to help you get a more solid understanding of it all. The more educated you are, the better—especially when it comes to your vehicle!
But before we get started explaining the in’s and out’s of the turbocharger, it might be best to give you a quick explanation on what exactly the turbocharger is. While not all cars have a turbocharger, many do. They’re forced induction systems that increase efficiency and power by using internal combustion and forcing extra compressed air into a combustion chamber. Simply put, the turbocharger allows for your car to move at a higher speed.
Understanding what the turbocharger does now will help you understand the different elements explained below. Happy learning!
The Turbine
Basically, the turbine takes excess heat and pressure from the engine and turns it into a force. Without this element the wheel would not work. There are two different parts of this specific element of the turbocharger. The turbocharger must have the correct turbine. If the turbine is too small for the engine it would cause excessive backpressure, ultimately causing the engine to choke and lose power. If the turbine is too large it will lag greatly and make it difficult for the boost you’re going for.
The Compressor
The compressor is one of the most common elements of the turbocharger that people know and understand. It’s made up of two parts: the compressor wheel and compressor cover. Ultimately, what these two parts do is compress the air and move it into the throttle body.
The Intercooler
This element is extremely important; the entire turbocharger product wouldn’t be able to work correctly and safely without it. Basically, what the intercooler does is cools down the turbocharger (pressured air at intake). This is necessary because when the pressure increases, heat is created. An abundance of issues would occur and too much heat can be harmful and dangerous.
The Wastegate
Another important element of the turbocharger is the wastegate. The wastegate allows for the regulation and flow of the exhaust gases, as well as the diversion of the exhaust gases to regulate turbine speed. When this is done it also regulates the rotating speed of the compressor. Fundamentally, without the wastegate, the turbocharger wouldn’t work (properly).
Center Housing Rotating Assembly
The Center Housing Rotating Assembly, or the heart of the turbocharger, is also known as the CHRA. The CHRA is one of the most critical parts of the turbocharger. This element serves as the mounting point for both housings. With this being said, it must be made of heavy duty or substantial material in order to do the job correctly and not be damaged by heat or turbine stress.
Piping and Manifolds
Three different sections fall into this category. These categories include manifolds, the hot side, and the cold side. They are combined of pipes and runners that collect the exit gases and tunnel them into a merge collector. Due to the extreme temperature change, backpressure, and high stress, these need to be built and sized correctly. If they’re not the pipes and runners won’t work, causing issues within the whole turbocharger.
Blow-Off Valves
This element known as the blow-off valve is located on the compressor side of the turbo system. The blow-off valve relieves pressure from the turbocharger. After the throttle blade shuts, the blow-off value dismisses the excess pressure. It just has one simple job, but it’s a necessary component.
Hot-side Piping
Gases move both from and to the turbocharger, and they move through something called hot-side piping. Because of the harsh temperature of the gases when transferring the exhaust, hot-side pipes must be made of strong material. If this isn’t done, the piping won’t withstand the heat accumulated during the transfer. Stainless steel is recommended for this process.
Cold-side Piping
Cold-side piping is any of the piping the moves compressed air from the turbocharger to the throttle body. The intercooler that we discussed above would fall into this cold-side piping area. This is another aspect of the turbocharger that tries to reduce and regulate heat.
All the components of the turbocharging system explained above have been simplified to provide you all with a solid foundation. While some of the elements are more complicated and extensive than what we dove into above, hopefully you were still able to understand the job of each and every component throughout the turbocharger. Each part plays a crucial role in providing efficiency and speed to vehicles and other motorized products that use it. Without all the pieces working in unison, turbochargers would not work properly or be dangerous to have.
Here at TurboTurbo’s we have an abundance of knowledge and turbocharger related products available for purchase. Not only do we sell new turbochargers, we also have rebuilt turbos for sale. Even if you’re unsure about purchasing a turbocharger for your car, it never hurts to take a peek and see what we have available. Visit our website for information and prices on all of our products and call us today for any insight you might need. We hope we can provide you with anything you could possibly need in regard to turbochargers!
