Since this discussion did not allow comments, I am reopening it: Original author, of course, is SRT_Tom!!! In a previous article, superchargers and turbochargers were discussed in detail (see link, below). Superchargers vs. Turbochargers | Dodge Challenger Forum Anyone who goes to the track, or watches the cable TV show, Street Outlaws, knows that many knowlegable racers are going to prochargers. In fact, Ryan Martin, switched his Fireball Camaro from twin turbos to prorchargers. Watch his interview at the 2:30 minute mark. Prochargers, superchargers and turbochargers are all different technologies with the same aim- to force more air into the engine. This force-feeding of oxygen let the engine burn more fuel and jet more power, and is usually augmented with a high-flow exhaust system, as well. To recap from the last article, a basic supercharger is called a Roots supercharger, because it is usually installed right where the intake manifold is. It uses spinning mesh lobes that throw air from one end to the other, and the pressure builds up inside the intake manifold, letting in a gush of air in bursts. Roots superchargers are what you see bulging out of the hoods of classic cars. The problem with a roots supercharger is the bulky size and the fact that they don’t feed extra air into the engine in a consistent stream. Another kind of supercharger is a twin-screw one, that whirls and draws in the air in a corkscrew fashion. The air is compressed and then forced into the engine this way. Twin-screw supercharges aren’t all that bulky but are very loud, so they need sound suppression systems to function with finesse. Superchargers, however, can be bulky and may require alterations to the hood of your car. Plus, the air it feeds into the engine is not a consistent stream and power may surge and lag accordingly. Procharger is the brand name of a centrifugal supercharger that works differently than a basic supercharger and delivers a consistent stream of air to your vehicle. Prochargers, use an impeller, a rotary device that sucks in the air by rotating at fast speeds. When the air reaches the center of the impeller, it gets distributed in an outward, cyclic manner by a strong centrifugal force where a diffuser turns the air into high pressure. This forces the air into the engine as a consistent stream rather than bursts, and end up providing not just more power, but also smoother power minus any lags or bursts. Prochargers are smaller and lightweight and are attached to the engine, as opposed to the intake manifold, thereby taking far less space. But they can be more expensive than the basic superchargers and also have a distinctive rotary whine that can be heard over and above a revving engine. Keep in mind that while a procharger may be more expensive than a supercharger at the outset, a supercharger may negatively affect fuel economy, unlike a procharger that does not burn through fuel as quickly. Prochargers also do not take power beyond legal limits as superchargers can do. So, if you live in a state where extra horsepower is frowned at or even fined, a procharger may be a better option for you. Also, remember that installing any time of a forced induction system will create more stress on the engine and higher engine heat. So, make sure your car is being serviced regularly, and the engine oil is kept topped up to ensure the longevity of both the charger and of course, your car. ProChargers has also created a procharger model, the i-1, designed for stock and modified applications, that has an intelligent control system and an optical touch screen display. Drivers can switch between three factory-supplied performance modes, as well as a custom mode. Personalized display screens and data logging are also available. Building on the benefits of centrifugal design, the i-1 delivers higher compressor efficiency than screw blowers (produces far more power per psi of boost than water-intercooled systems), utilizes air-to-air intercooling (most effective), avoids the heat transfer associated with engine top-mounting or an exhaust interface, produces immediate response even at low engine rpm) and allows for better reliability (supports up to 825 flywheel hp.)
This kind of makes me wonder: (produces far more power per psi of boost than water-intercooled systems), utilizes air-to-air intercooling..." Is it the intercooling (actually, aftercooling) that is the issue, or is the supercharger just better at producing more PSI with less added heat? On the PLUS side, for ATAAC, (air to air aftercooling) you get direct conduction of heat from hot input air to cool outside air, instead of going through a middleman of some cooling liquid, so the temperature of the cooling medium is not already heated to some extent, but is the ambient temperature. Since Pro Mod racers are flocking to centrifugal systems, but the champ the year before last was some type of screw/whatever blower that sat right on top of engine, as the world changes around him, it makes me wonder if there is a whole world of efficient performance being ignored, here, by the masses in general. I understand the immediate-gratification of the positive-displacement blowers, but I, for one, REALLY like the ever-rising power curve of the centrifugal supercharger for a couple reasons. A) I can specify a low-RPM-emphasis cam to claw back some low-RPM low, low, low, idle speed, and, B)I can use a set of pulleys on the blower to set the speed of it so that I don't overdo the torque so I could, for example, carefully research and install one on an AWD V6 Challenger and still ride that almost-completely-flat torque curve right up to whatever RPM to which I wanted to build the engine, and have one of the quickest all-weather muscle cars in history. Making 2WD owners cry is an idea I like. As Richard Holdener showed in the centrifugal-versus-roots-blower video, you can get nearly-the-same power curves out of both types of system, at least above 3000 RPM. But, hey, do our cars really NEED more overpowering of the traction at low revs? The "weak link" Challengers face is lack of really big, fat, tires we can cram under the stock wheelwells.
If you look at Richard Holdeners Youtube videos, you can learn more about boosted engines in hours than you knew all your life. "I won the Silver State overall with my supercharged Mustang. (15:00)" Richard knows whereof he speaketh.
Any of you V6 guys ever thought of the almost-unlimited power levels available with a centrifugal blower? It will still make some good boost at slow speed, but just keeps screaming louder and louder as the revs climb, allowing you to sidestep the problem of driveline strength limitations. Of course, if you watch the second Richard Holdener video in the above post, you will see that you can make more power and more power under the curve with the turbo than the supercharger. Also, if you are creative, you can put a slaved butterfly valve in front of the supercharger intake or turbo mouth to A) Reduce power consumption by supercharger at part throttle B) reduce turbo spin-down on closed throttle, aiding throttle response. Especially useful with a heavier titanium turbo compressor wheel. Why use a Ti wheel, you ask? Funny you should ask. It allows a smaller turbo to spin faster without risk of the compressor wheel flying apart. This opens up the possibility of widening the unfettered boost RPM/PSI of a turbo system by using a smaller turbo for faster low-RPM response, without having to limit the boost to a turbo RPM that will protect the more-fragile aluminum from exploding. An added bonus of the Ti compressor wheel is that the vanes can be smaller in thickness, allowing greater airflow per given RPM. While you're at it, ceramic/hybrid ball bearings in the turbo will also increase the speed at which your turbo spools, offsetting the Ti wheel weight AND adding efficiency at all RPM. Also, by using an electronically-controlled wastegate with some very efficient plumbing, you can allow the turbo to act a lot like the centrifugal blower, with the added benefit of the wastegate (especially the new, butterfly-valve wastegate) uncorking the exhaust to provide even greater efficiency. A centrifugal blower can use a pop-off valve to vent excess boost, but that boost still sucked up power to allow it to be produced. With the turbo and an efficient wastegate, you can have energy savings by rerouting the exhaust to a lower-resistance path, heading the energy waste off at the pass, before it gets a chance to cost the engine any energy.
You all don't think performance is gonna die the moment some (non-)elected "official" gets paid enough by some Chinese lithium mine owner, do you?
