The invention of the internal combustion engine - an internal combustion engine - can rightfully be attributed to one of the greatest inventions of mankind. It was he who gave man power that muscles did not possess, and only human genius was able to adapt this power to his needs in various fields of his activity. And this also ensured the accelerated development of many related fields of science and technology, thanks to which the atmospheric engine continued to successfully develop and improve.
To understand the problems facing engine builders, you need to remember how such an engine works. We will consider an ordinary gasoline engine. It absorbs air from the atmosphere, which is then mixed with gasoline vapors and enters the combustion chamber. During combustion of the fuel mixture, the formation of gases expands, resulting in the emergence of forces that rotate the
crankshaft. So, to put it very simply, a description of how an atmospheric engine works looks.
Here you need to pay special attention to the following points. Firstly, the fuel does not burn out completely, as evidenced by the presence of unburned particles in its exhaust gases. Secondly, exhaust gases still have enough energy, and I would like to use it. The solution was found - installing a turbine on an atmospheric engine. The approach is very simple: since the fuel does not burn, it means that it does not have enough oxygen, you need to add air to the cylinders, and this can be done using exhaust gases.
What is described above is the principle of operation of a
turbocharged engine. The turbine impeller is located in the stream of exhaust gases emitted into the atmosphere, it drives a compressor connected with it, which pumps air under pressure into the engine cylinders, providing additional oxygen for more complete combustion of the fuel. Real designs, of course, are much more complicated than those described, but the operation of the boost turbine is carried out in this way.
There is another way to provide boost - use a compressor driven by an engine. The disadvantage of this option is the loss of engine power, because the compressor will take power from the motor for its operation. Although this type of mechanical boost is used in some cases as an addition to the described turbocharging system. It is especially effective at low engine speeds, and then, as the speed rises, it turns off.
Thanks to the described turbocharging method, a conventional atmospheric engine with the same parameters acquires additional power and provides increased efficiency, which occurs due to more complete combustion of the fuel. This is one of the easiest options to increase engine power. It is used both on gasoline and diesel engines. In this case, there is no difference between them.
The characteristics that an atmospheric engine shows can be improved without a major upgrade through the use of a turbocharger. According to available estimates, engine power can increase by 40% and, in addition, the amount of harmful substances in exhaust gases will decrease.