| Both methods work the same way, by forcing more air into the engine than by normal aspiration. More air, more fuel = more power. However, because the supercharger is driven by a belt directly off of the engine, part of the power it generates is lost to driving the turbine. The turbocharger, however, is spun by the exhaust gas from the engine, hence it is "free". So the net gain lies in favor of the turbocharger. The reason you see superchargers on dragsters is because of the responsiveness of the supercharger. As soon as you press the accelerator, it starts to force more air into the engine. The turbocharger, however, has to spin up as the exhaust gas flow increase. That accounts for the turbo lag. Modern materials used in turbochargers nowadays make the turbines much less massive, thus helping to minimize the turbolag. |
