Do All Cars Have Turbochargers - 7 Issues And Answer About Turbocharges

Q: How far has turbocharging technology developed? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: Turbocharging technology can now be seen on more and more models, achieving greater power output with smaller displacement. At this time, turbocharging gives everyone the most feelings. However, in the early stage of the development of turbocharging, we saw damage to the turbocharger from time to time, so turbochargers could not bring their advantages in power, economy and environmental protection into full play. The service life of turbochargers has become a concern for everyone, even the automotive industry. However, its technological development has reached a very advanced level, and turbocharging technology has also been widely developed. Where does it mature? The following is the detailed answer.

Q: How "bad" is the working environment of the turbocharger? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: The working condition of the turbocharger is high temperature. “High temperature” is the biggest test that turbochargers face. When the turbine is running, the first contact is with the high-temperature exhaust gas discharged by the engine; its impact drives the compressor wheel on the other side to run synchronously, and the compressed gas will also increase the air temperature at the intake end.

Due to the high-speed operation of the engine, the speed of the impeller shaft (a component of the turbocharger) often reaches 80,000-120,000 rpm, and the heat generated by the high-speed rotation of the wheel shaft is also very amazing. Therefore, the way to improve this working condition is to dissipate heat. There are special oil channels (lubrication and heat dissipation) and water channels inside the turbine body, which can reduce the temperature of the supercharger through the dual heat dissipation of oil cooling and water cooling.

Q: What are the damage forms and causes of turbochargers? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: 1. The bearing is worn, causing the bearing and the shaft to be seized. Poor lubrication is the main cause of seizure between the bearing and the shaft. Under what circumstances is this likely to happen? When the engine starts and runs under load, the lubricating oil is seriously insufficient at this time, which will cause fatal damage to the supercharger. Suppose the diesel engine suddenly stops during operation. In that case, the oil pump stops working at this time. However, the supercharger continues to run at high temperatures, and without oil, so the heat accumulated in the supercharger cannot dissipate. Overheating may damage the bearing. Cause wear.

2. The sealing ring is damaged, and the turbine end and compressor end leak oil. The turbo (hot end) and compressor end of the supercharger are fitted with alloy sealing rings. Due to the turbocharger’s special working conditions, the sealing ring’s interference should not be too large, and the sealing should not be too tight. In addition to the sealing ring, the sealing is mainly achieved by the exhaust pressure and the supercharged gas pressure being higher than the oil pressure in the intermediate body. Therefore, the lubricating and cooling oil will flow out once the sealing environment is damaged. Increase wear and tear.

Q: What are the key parts to prolong the life of the turbocharger? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: 1. Turbine shaft. The turbine shaft is a precision part that bears 80000-120000rpm rotation and ultra-high temperature. Its complex processing technology, extremely high processing precision and material selection are the core technologies of turbine manufacturing. According to the existing technology and materials, the Turbine shaft can meet the requirements of these working conditions.

2. Bearings. Turbochargers generally use fully floating bearings, which are lubricated by the engine lubrication system. When the rotor rotates at high speed, the oil from the main oil passage of the engine fills the gap between the bearing and the rotor shaft, so that the bearing rotates in the same direction as the rotor shaft between the inner and outer oil films, and then returns to the oil pan through the oil pipe.

3. Sealing ring. In a turbocharger with a fully floating bearing, the integrity and damage of the seal ring determine the life of the bearing. Its material selection is also significant. It is necessary to choose the sealing ring material with corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance and high-pressure resistance, and the operational stability should reach above 750 degrees Celsius. Its structural design and dimensional accuracy are also essential, especially the interference of the sealing ring should be just right.

Q: How to solve the turbo lag phenomenon? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: Turbocharging mainly uses the energy of the engine exhaust gas to drive the compressor to achieve the supercharging of the intake air. During the process, the engine’s power is not consumed and has good acceleration continuity. Still, it is a complex problem that the turbo cannot intervene in time when it is vulgar.

If the volume of the supercharger is reduced, the moment of inertia will be reduced, resulting in a faster response. But at the same time, the supercharging ability provided at high speed will be limited.

The electrically assisted turbo currently seems to be a good solution; it can reach very high revs through the electric motor in a very short period, intervening at lower engine revs to reduce turbo lag. However, the motor turbo assists technology and cost have also become a problem, mainly used in advanced racing cars, such as F1.

Q: Are there other ways to reduce hysteresis? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: A bearing is sleeved on the shaft connecting the turbine and the impeller, and the bearing is installed on the bearing seat. At present, floating bearings are generally used in bearings. If ball bearings are used, hysteresis can also be reduced. At present, many companies have developed ball bearings with excellent heat resistance, but due to cost problems, they are only used in racing or modified fields in a small range.

Q: Does the turbocharger have idle cooling? Do all cars have turbochargers

A: Many people have asked, does a car with a turbocharged engine need to be cooled at idle speed after parking? In the past, the turbocharger mainly relied on oil for cooling, which had a limited effect, and the oil pump could not work after the engine was stopped. Today’s turbocharged engines generally have independent water cooling devices, and similar problems will not occur.

As mentioned above, if the supercharger is unstable during high-intensity operation in a high-temperature environment, it will bring serious consequences. Some manufacturers purchase turbochargers with insufficient quality or strength to control costs, making the turbos of some turbocharged models extremely unendurable.

Due to the extremely harsh working environment, each component has been carefully considered in terms of material, structure, and shape, and a slight error will lead to severe consequences. In the future, turbochargers will also use the advantages of high motor speed and large torque to reduce the effect of turbo lag. Do All Cars Have Turbochargers