What is the function of a car supercharger?
3 Answers
The function of a car supercharger is to pre-compress the air before supplying it to the cylinders, thereby increasing air density and intake volume, which enhances engine power. Symptoms of a faulty supercharger include: 1. No boost effect in the engine; 2. Poor exhaust heat dissipation during prolonged engine operation; 3. Sharp, piercing noises when the engine is running; 4. Insufficient air entering the combustion chamber, leading to reduced power; 5. Increased throttle without a corresponding power increase, only emitting black smoke. The working principle of a supercharger is: it converts the power generated by exhaust gas into increased pressure in the intake pipe. There are fan blades in the exhaust pipe; when the engine operates and produces exhaust gas, the blades in the exhaust pipe rotate, causing the intake blades to rotate via a shaft, thereby increasing intake pressure. When the throttle is increased, exhaust gas also increases, and the intake increases accordingly with the exhaust.
A car supercharger is mainly designed to allow the engine to take in more air, increasing the amount of oxygen available. Naturally aspirated engines usually rely on self-suction for air intake, which can be inefficient when more power is needed. The supercharger, driven either by exhaust gases or directly, pressurizes the intake air, forcing more oxygen into the cylinders. This makes the gasoline burn more fiercely, significantly boosting horsepower—almost like giving the car a performance boost. Many sports cars and small-displacement turbocharged models rely on it to achieve better fuel efficiency while delivering faster acceleration. In daily driving, I find the supercharger particularly useful—it makes climbing hills and overtaking much smoother, and the responsiveness on highways is noticeably sharper compared to non-supercharged models. Turbocharging does come with a slight lag, though, which takes some getting used to.
I've been driving a car with a turbocharger for years, and the strong acceleration gives an intense push-back feeling without any sluggishness, especially when starting at traffic lights or going uphill. The engine never feels like it's struggling for breath. It compresses the air before it enters the cylinders, leading to more complete combustion, which directly boosts horsepower, providing better fuel efficiency while delivering stronger power. Compared to naturally aspirated engines without turbochargers, driving feels more exhilarating overall, and long-distance driving consumes less fuel. Some cars modified with turbochargers respond quickly, but they tend to overheat at high temperatures, so it's important to ensure the cooling system doesn't fail.
