How does a turbocharger work?

Turbocharged engine design. Working process of a turbocharged car engine. How a turbine and compressor works? Why is air cooling in an intercooler necessary?

[davidbrown]

One very important part of turbo systems that was left out was the blow-off valve. When your foot comes off the gas, and the throttle body closes, the turbo is still spinning, trying to force air into the cylinders via the intake manifold. If you can't eliminate that pressure, all sorts of bad things can happen, like blowing the plumbing off the inter cooler. Hence the blow off valve. It is set at a pressure that allows excess pressure to be blown out of the system, but not all the pressure. You want some, so when you accelerate, the turbo doesn't have too much "lag", and will spool up faster. BTW, colder air is more dense, making the air/fuel mixture more explosive.

[Real_Iron_Smith]

Thank you for this video! I was struck at 2AM with a sudden need to understand how a turbocharger works, and this explains and shows it perfectly!

[KhalidMA]

Fabulous effort. Clean and clear graphics. Crisp explanation.

[ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

I already know how turbos work...I just love watching these types of videos.
I always find it uplifting when someone puts in effort to provide free education. 🥰
Good job, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems!

[e.b]

Fantastic, no music finally somebody who spend the time to explain properly. Thank you very much.

[jankington]

I love how it shows cylinder 4 getting less air due to the cylindrical manifold

[AJ-shuv]

To anyone who wants to turbo their vehicle, unless it was built to take the high pressure from a turbo, you need to upgrade your gaskets and piston rings, otherwise the pressure will break your engine. This is because your stock ratio of air-fuel is usually 14-1. The forced air turns this higher to 20-1 or more. You ideally want an engine built close to a 6-1 ratio.

[wralford]

Note that the turbocharger and supercharger were invented in the late 19th and early 20th centuries respectively. The were utilized to enable piston-engined aircraft to operate effectively above 10K feet. Some, like the P-38 Lightning, had both.

If you live in a high-elevation environment, it's best to get a vehicle with a turbo and/or blower.

[jull]

thank you for a condensed overview, i hate 20 minute videos explaining something that can take so much less.

[mzrmrtn]

I’m new at cars. Thank you for explaining this.

[jyudat]

damn this was actually a pretty good explanation

[jwalster]

I actually understand pretty well most of the mechanics in a ICE (internal combustion engine) but seeing it from other prospectives is interesting.

[hardspaghetti]

I highly recommend driving a turbocharged engine if you have not yet. Very unique experience compared to a naturally aspirated engine

[SilentKnight]

A year ago we bought our first turbo vehicle - a 2019 Kia StingerGT-2 3.3L (twin turbos). Compared to the previous 2.4L 2011 Kia Optima EX we had - the performance is stunning. 365hp/376ft/lbs torque. She pulls nicely.

[Sebastiao]

I just enhanced my gran turismo 2 skills and knowledge about car tunning, thank you!

[GimmeMyHandleBack]

Got this recommended and I was not disappointed! Loved it!

[normvw]

The primary use of the turbocharger is to operate the engine at sea level on a standard day, regardless of altitude. This is where all reciprocating operate at their best performance. And this is the primary reason this system is used on aircraft engines. Use in automotive is only about 40 years old, but it works there too.

[SanKiranKReddy]

Fiat used to make smaller diesal turbo motor 1.3 L with 100 HP due to Turbo compression very efficient of fuel and power !!! In India many cars fitted with this engine !!!! Great explanation loved the graphics and narrative!👌👌👌👍👍👍👍

[munkandbear]

The best video I've ever seen concerning this process.

[Motocicleiros]

Nice! I finally understand how a turbo charger works and what is an intercooler!