TVS Supercharger

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A TVS, Twin Vortices Series, Supercharger is a device which was created by the Eaton Corporation as an improvement upon the currently existing superchargers. The TVS supercharger is similar to most superchargers as it is connected to the engine's crankshaft, whose spinning motion in turn powers the supercharger. [1] The supercharger utilizes this spinning motion to compress the available supply of air above atmospheric pressure, thus allowing for more air to be packed into the system and as a direct result allowing for more fuel to be ignited, delivering a larger supply of energy to the car. Additionally, the TVS supercharger conducts this entire process with a significant reduction in noise, vibration, and harshness. [2]

History

The TVS supercharger was invented by Eaton Corporation, a company which has been manufacturing superchargers since 1985. [3] The TVS supercharger is a 5th generation supercharger and its design was stated to be a game changer for the world of superchargers. The current TVS R-series supercharger is a more efficient 4-lobe rotor design that's descended from Eaton's earlier 3-lobe "M series". That earlier M series was primarily used in 1980's thru 2010 performance cars, particularly from Ford and Buick. In 1989, Ford introduced the Thunderbird SC with the first Eaton M90 supercharger. General Motors employed this supercharger design for a decade, starting in 1991 with the new L67 supercharged (M62) version of their Buick/GM 3800 V6.

TVS supercharger was introduced in 2002. Toyota introduced their TVS supercharged Toyota Aurion in 2006. The 2007 Roush Mustang prototypes featured a much larger TVS. Audi followed in 2010 by employing the TVS supercharger in all of their TFSI V6 engines. [4] Currently there are many other high-end luxury and sport car companies using the TVS supercharger in their production line including: Chevrolet (Corvette ZR1), Cadillac (CTS-V), Jaguar (XFR), Lotus (Evora S) , Range Rover (5.0 L V8), and Mustang (GT 500). [5]

Performance

Design

The TVS Supercharger is unique because of two specific changes in its design which help greatly enhance its performance while producing minimal vibration and harshness. The first improvement is the fact that it has four lobes instead of the regular three lobes and its rotors inside are twisted at 160 degrees rather than the usual 60 degrees. [6] The extra lobe in the design allows for the supercharger to pack in a larger supply of air and the combined 160 degrees twisted rotor allows for this air to stay sealed in the lobes for a longer period of time before being let out. This means that the car has a larger supply of air for an extended period of time which creates a larger supply of energy when fuel is combusted, since there is more air available for the combustion process.

The larger intake of air and the larger degree of motion also helps reduce the speed at which air enters the system and gets compacted. This is immensely useful in increasing the efficiency of the supercharger. Because, the older superchargers lost too much energy as heat and useless kinetic motion with the excessive spinning of their smaller lobes that only had 60 degrees of rotational mobility. In direct contrast, the TVS supercharger has 160 degrees of rotation in each spin and as a direct result, it does not have to spin as many times to pack the same amount of air. Thus reducing the loss of energy as heat and excessive kinetic motion produced by the rapid spinning of the rotors. The rotors and inner parts of the supercharger are also packed closer together with friction reducing agent further helping reduce the loss of energy as heat produced by their motion. All of these design upgrades give the TVS supercharger an estimated 12% boost in efficiency in comparison to other superchargers in the market. [3]

Power

The TVS supercharger was ranked higher than most of the superchargers, including turbochargers, available in the market. It boosts engine power by an estimated 20% and this power boost is comparable to turbocharged compressors, but with a larger impact on fuel economy, the TVS supercharger is less efficient. [7]

The TVS supercharger is able to beat a large number of the turbochargers simply because there is no lag in power. Unlike turbochargers which are driven by exhaust gases, superchargers are connected directly to the crankshaft of the engine and can provide an immediate power boost as the engine speeds up. [1]

Additionally, the TVS supercharger is also able to beat most other superchargers with its design improvements which pack more air through the fourth lobe, and its lower temperature functionality. Low temperature functionality is possible because the TVS supercharger does not have to spin as much to pack air into the combustion chamber. As a result, the TVS supercharger produces a significantly lower amount of heat through the entire process. Thus there is more energy delivered straight to the supercharger for more air, less energy is wasted as heat (70% thermal efficiency) and the need for an external cooling unit to cool down the supercharger is eliminated. [8] External cooling, as many other supercharger units would require, would mean a decrease in pressure and an increase in the weight of the car causing it to be slower, the antithesis of what superchargers are meant to do. However, the TVS supercharger is not only efficient in cycling power but also in maintaining fuel efficiency as well.

Fuel Efficiency

The TVS Supercharger also provides a higher fuel efficiency in comparison to any other mechanically driven supercharger in the market. As discussed in the introduction and design section, the TVS supercharger is connected directly to the engines crankshaft which spins the rotors in the supercharger, thus packing a larger supply of air for fuel combustion. The TVS supercharger with the extra lobe and degrees of motion is able to function at lower rotations per minute, RPM'S, produced by the engines crankshaft, allowing for a much more efficient fuel economy since the engine does not have to spin as much to get the same amount of energy out of the crankshaft. [9]

Production

Since the initial release of the TVS Supercharger, Eaton Corporation, has had to increase production and add facilities to keep up with the demand. Between 2008-2010, the company had to ramp up production by 80% and they were producing 400,000 supercharger in the first year alone. The demand for the superchargers was especially high in the Asian market, and a facility in China was planned while one in Poland was already being constructed to keep up with the high demand of the supercharger. [10] Today, the TVS supercharger is the largest single product in production by the company.

Overview

ProsCons
Reduction in harshness and vibration produced, thus allowing for a much smoother ride of the carThe more significant the power upgrade, the higher the price of the car
Significant increase in power with no lag timeAlthough minimally, fuel economy will be impacted
No need for an extra cooling unit: 70% thermal efficiency
Minimal impact on fuel efficiency
Lower toll on engine life due to the low RPM functionality

Modifications

The TVS supercharger is now available for a much larger variety of vehicles. Companies such as: ROUSH Performance, Edelbrock, Street Legal Performance, Magnuson, Harrop Engineering and VMP Tuning have taken the TVS supercharger and modified it to allow for it to work with many different types of vehicles. [8] Today the TVS supercharger is available for sedans, SUVs and trucks. It has also been modified so that it can be easily added as a post-factory upgrade to a larger number of cars available in the market.

Related Research Articles

Turbocharger forced induction device for internal combustion engines

A turbocharger, colloquially known as a turbo, is a turbine-driven, forced induction device that increases an internal combustion engine's efficiency and power output by forcing extra compressed air into the combustion chamber. This improvement over a naturally aspirated engine's power output is because the compressor can force more air—and proportionately more fuel—into the combustion chamber than atmospheric pressure alone.

Miller cycle

In engineering, the Miller cycle is a thermodynamic cycle used in a type of internal combustion engine. The Miller cycle was patented by Ralph Miller, an American engineer, US patent 2817322 dated Dec 24, 1957. The engine may be two- or four-stroke and may be run on diesel fuel, gases, or dual fuel.

Aircraft engine Engine designed for use in powered aircraft

An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although in recent years many small UAVs have used electric motors.

Four-stroke engine Internal combustion engine type

A four-strokeengine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either direction. The four separate strokes are termed:

  1. Intake: Also known as induction or suction. This stroke of the piston begins at top dead center (T.D.C.) and ends at bottom dead center (B.D.C.). In this stroke the intake valve must be in the open position while the piston pulls an air-fuel mixture into the cylinder by producing vacuum pressure into the cylinder through its downward motion. The piston is moving down as air is being sucked in by the downward motion against the piston.
  2. Compression: This stroke begins at B.D.C, or just at the end of the suction stroke, and ends at T.D.C. In this stroke the piston compresses the air-fuel mixture in preparation for ignition during the power stroke (below). Both the intake and exhaust valves are closed during this stage.
  3. Combustion: Also known as power or ignition. This is the start of the second revolution of the four stroke cycle. At this point the crankshaft has completed a full 360 degree revolution. While the piston is at T.D.C. the compressed air-fuel mixture is ignited by a spark plug or by heat generated by high compression, forcefully returning the piston to B.D.C. This stroke produces mechanical work from the engine to turn the crankshaft.
  4. Exhaust: Also known as outlet. During the exhaust stroke, the piston, once again, returns from B.D.C. to T.D.C. while the exhaust valve is open. This action expels the spent air-fuel mixture through the exhaust valve.
Intercooler specific type of mechanical device used to cool liquid or gas

An intercooler is a mechanical device used to cool a gas after compression. Compressing a gas increases its internal energy which in turn raises its temperature and reduces its density. An intercooler typically takes the form of a heat exchanger that removes waste heat in a gas compressor. Intercoolers have a variety of applications, and can be found in air compressors, air conditioners, refrigeration, and gas turbines, and automotive engines, for example. They are widely known as an air-to-air or air-to-liquid cooler for forced induction internal combustion engines, used to improve volumetric efficiency. This is accomplished by increasing intake air density through nearly constant pressure cooling.

Roots-type supercharger

The Roots-type blower is a positive displacement lobe pump which operates by pumping a fluid with a pair of meshing lobes resembling a set of stretched gears. Fluid is trapped in pockets surrounding the lobes and carried from the intake side to the exhaust. The most common application of the Roots-type blower has been as the induction device on two-stroke diesel engines, such as those produced by Detroit Diesel and Electro-Motive Diesel. Roots-type blowers are also used to supercharge Otto cycle engines, with the blower being driven from the engine's crankshaft via a toothed or V-belt, a roller chain or a gear train.

A centrifugal supercharger is a specialized type of supercharger that makes use of centrifugal force in order to push additional air into an engine. Increased airflow into an engine allows the engine to burn more fuel, which results in increased power output of the engine. Centrifugal superchargers are generally attached to the front of the engine via a belt-drive or gear-drive from the engine's crankshaft.

Engine tuning the adjustment, modification, or design of internal combustion engines to yield more performance

Engine tuning is the adjustment or modification of the internal combustion engine or Engine Control Unit (ECU) to yield optimal performance and increase the engine's power output, economy, or durability. These goals may be mutually exclusive; an engine may be de-tuned with respect to output power in exchange for better economy or longer engine life due to lessened stress on engine components.

Naturally aspirated engine internal combustion engine that relies on atmospheric pressure for air intake without a supercharger or turbocharger

A naturally aspirated engine, also known as a normally aspirated engine, is an internal combustion engine in which air intake depends solely on atmospheric pressure and does not have forced induction through a turbocharger or a supercharger. Many sports cars specifically use naturally aspirated engines to avoid turbo lag.

Forced induction is the process of delivering compressed air to the intake of an internal combustion engine. A forced induction engine uses a gas compressor to increase the pressure, temperature and density of the air. An engine without forced induction is considered a naturally aspirated engine.

The anti-lag system (ALS) is a method of reducing turbo lag or effective compression used on turbocharged engines to minimize turbo lag on racing or performance cars. It works by delaying the ignition timing very slightly to balance an inherent loss in combustion efficiency with increased pressure at the charging side of the turbo. This is achieved as a small amount of fuel/air mixture escapes through the exhaust valves and combusts in the hot exhaust manifold spooling the turbocharger creating higher usable pressure.

Twincharger refers to a compound forced induction system used on some piston-type internal combustion engines. It is a combination of an exhaust-driven turbocharger and a mechanically driven supercharger, each mitigating the weaknesses of the other. A mechanically driven supercharger offers exceptional response and low-rpm performance as it does not rely on pressurization of the exhaust manifold. A turbocharger sized to move a large volume of air tends to respond slowly to throttle input while a smaller, faster-responding turbo may fail to deliver sufficient volume through an engine's upper RPM range. The unacceptable lag time endemic to a large turbocharger is effectively neutralized when combined with a supercharger which tends to generate substantial boost pressure much faster in response to throttle input. The end result being a zero-lag powerband with high torque at lower engine speeds and increased power at the upper end. Twincharging is therefore desirable for small-displacement motors, especially those with a large operating rpm, since they can take advantage of an artificially broad torque band over a large speed range.

Variable compression ratio is a technology to adjust the compression ratio of an internal combustion engine while the engine is in operation. This is done to increase fuel efficiency while under varying loads. Variable compression engines allow the volume above the piston at top dead centre to be changed. Higher loads require lower ratios to increase power, while lower loads need higher ratios to increase efficiency, i.e. to lower fuel consumption. For automotive use this needs to be done as the engine is running in response to the load and driving demands. The 2019 Infiniti QX50 is the first commercially available vehicle that uses a variable compression ratio engine.

Rotary-screw compressor

A rotary-screw compressor is a type of gas compressor, such as an air compressor, that uses a rotary-type positive-displacement mechanism. They are commonly used to replace piston compressors where large volumes of high-pressure air are needed, either for large industrial applications or to operate high-power air tools such as jackhammers and impact wrenches. For smaller rotor sizes the inherent leakage in the rotors becomes much more significant, leading to this type of mechanism being unsuitable for small air compressors.

Supercharger Air compressor for an internal combustion engine

A supercharger is an air compressor that increases the pressure or density of air supplied to an internal combustion engine. This gives each intake cycle of the engine more oxygen, letting it burn more fuel and do more work, thus increasing power.

G-Lader

The G-Lader is a scroll-type supercharger used in various Volkswagen Passenger Cars models. Its purpose is to increase the motive power output from the internal combustion engine attainable with a given engine displacement. Since it is not enough to simply inject more fuel, as this produces too rich an air-fuel mixture, more intake air has to be added at the same time. This can be achieved with an exhaust-driven turbocharger, or a crankshaft-driven positive displacement compressor. The G-Lader is in the compressor category, since it is crankshaft-driven and does not have the "lag" usually associated with turbocharged engines.

Hybrid turbocharger

A hybrid turbocharger is an electric turbocharger consisting of a high speed turbine-generator and a high speed electric air compressor. The turbine and compressor are high-speed aeromachines, as in a conventional turbocharger. The electrical motors run at speeds in excess of 120,000 rpm and when used as generators, generate electricity at up to 98.5% electrical efficiency. High electrical efficiency is paramount, because there is no mechanical link between the turbine and compressor. In other words, hybrid turbocharger refers to a series hybrid setup, in which compressor speed and power are independent from turbine speed and power. This design flexibility leads to further improvements in turbine and compressor efficiency, beyond a conventional turbocharger.

An electric supercharger is a specific type of supercharger for internal combustion engines that uses an electrically powered forced-air system that contains an electric motor to pressurize the intake air. By pressurizing the air available to the engine intake system, the air becomes more dense, and is matched with more fuel, producing the increased horsepower to the wheels.

Internal combustion engines come in a wide variety of types, but have certain family resemblances, and thus share many common types of components.

Internal combustion engine Engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber

An internal combustion engine (ICE) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is applied typically to pistons, turbine blades, rotor or a nozzle. This force moves the component over a distance, transforming chemical energy into useful work.

References

  1. 1 2 "Diesel Engine Fuel Economy Improvement Enabled by Supercharging and Downspeeding". doi:10.4271/2012-01-1941 . Retrieved 2016-02-02.
  2. ↑ "TVS Supercharger". AUTO-NEWS.
  3. 1 2 "TVS® Supercharger". www.eaton.com. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  4. ↑ "Search Results - Eaton Corporation". www.eaton.com. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  5. ↑ "Eaton Advances Supercharger Technologies: Saving Fuel and Reducing Emissions". www.eaton.com. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  6. ↑ "TVS® Supercharger". www.eaton.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  7. ↑ Engineers, Institution of Mechanical (2012-05-11). 10th International Conference on Turbochargers and Turbocharging. Elsevier. ISBN   9780857096135.
  8. 1 2 "Inside TVS Supercharger Technology - Dragzine". Dragzine. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  9. ↑ "Diesel Engine Fuel Economy Improvement Enabled by Supercharging and Downspeeding". doi:10.4271/2012-01-1941 . Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  10. ↑ "Five TVS Programs Boosting Eaton's Supercharger Prospects". wardsauto.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
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