Turbochargers have been used on various petrol engines since 1962, in order to obtain greater power or torque output for a given engine displacement.
Most turbocharged petrol engines use a single turbocharger; however, twin-turbo configurations are also often used.
In motor racing, turbochargers were used in various forms of motorsport in the 1970s and 1980s. Since the mid-2010s, turbocharging has returned to several motor racing categories, such as Formula One and the World Rally Championship.
Several motorcycles in the late 1970s and early 1980s were produced with turbocharged engines.
A common arrangement for twin-turbo engines, especially on V engines is a parallel configuration. [15] This arrangement uses two identically sized turbos, each fed by a separate set of exhaust streams from the engine. Having two smaller turbos produce the same aggregate amount of boost as a larger single turbo allows them to reach their optimal rpm more quickly, thus improving boost delivery.
Another twin-turbo arrangement commonly used on car engines is a sequential configuration, where one turbo is active across the entire rev range of the engine and the other activates at higher rpm. [16] Below this rpm, both exhaust and air inlet of the secondary turbo are closed. Being individually smaller they have reduced lag [16] and having the second turbo operating at a higher rpm range allows it to get to full rotational speed before it is required. Such combinations are referred to as a sequential twin-turbo. Sequential twin-turbo systems are usually more complicated than parallel twin-turbo systems because they require additional wastegate pipes and valves to control the direction of the exhaust gases.
Automobile manufacturers rarely use more than two turbochargers. Some exceptions are the triple-turbocharger system used by the 2012–2017 BMW N57S straight-six diesel engine, the quad-turbocharger system used by the V12 engine in the 1991–1995 Bugatti EB110 and the quad-turbocharger system used by the W16 engine in the 2005–2015 Bugatti Veyron and 2016-present Bugatti Chiron.
The first turbocharged engine in motorsport was the Kurtis Kraft-Cummins Diesel driven by Fred Agabashian. He competed in the 1952 Indianapolis 500, qualifying on pole. [17] However the turbo failed on lap 71 out of 200.[ citation needed ]
Another one of the first uses of turbocharging in motorsport was a turbocharged version of the Offenhauser engine, which first competed at the 1966 Indianapolis 500 and used a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger. This engine won the 1968 Indianapolis 500 [18] [19] and power outputs of over 750 kW (1,000 hp) were achieved in 1973.
In 1972, the Porsche 917/10K became the first turbocharged car to win the Can-Am series. The 917/10K was powered by a turbocharged flat-twelve engine producing up to 820 kW (1,100 hp).
In Formula One, the original "Turbo Era" lasted from the 1977 season until the 1988 season. During this era, Renault, Honda, BMW, and Ferrari produced engines with a capacity of 1,500 cc (92 cu in), and were capable of producing from 380 to 1,120 kW (510 to 1,500 hp) over this period. The first turbocharged Formula One car was the Renault RS01, [20] however early engines often suffered from reliability problems. By the mid-1980s, turbocharged engines dominated Formula One, until they were banned after the 1988 season.
Turbochargers returned to Formula One for the 2014 season, with turbocharged 1.6 L (98 cu in) V6 engines replacing the naturally aspirated 2.4 L (146 cu in) V8 engines that were previously used. The turbocharging combined with more powerful energy recovery systems kept the power level similar to the previous V8 engines, despite the smaller capacity and the lower rev limits. [21]
In the German Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) racing series, the "Turbo Era" of 1985 until 1989 saw Volvo, Alfa Romeo and Ford becoming the first manufacturers to use turbocharged engines. In 1985, the Volvo 240 Turbo won the European Touring Car Championship, before turbochargers were banned at the start of 1990 season due to cost reasons.
Since the 2019 season, turbocharging has returned to DTM, with turbocharged 2.0 L (122 cu in) inline-four engines (shared with the Japanese Super GT "Class One" regulations) replacing the previous naturally aspirated 4.0 L (244 cu in ) V8 engines.
During the Group B era of 1982–1986, turbocharged engines producing up to 450 kW (600 hp) dominated the World Rally Championship. [22]
Turbocharging returned for the 2012 season and has been used since. WRC rally cars use a turbocharged 1.6 L (98 cu in) inline-four engine with a 34 mm restrictor in the air intake system. [23]
Turbocharging is rarely used by manufacturers of motorcycles, with the following being the only examples of factory turbocharged motorcycles: [24] [25] [26] [27]
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
A flat engine is a piston engine where the cylinders are located on either side of a central crankshaft. Flat engines are also known as horizontally opposed engines, however this is distinct from the less common opposed-piston engine design, whereby each cylinder has two pistons sharing a central combustion chamber.
The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a series of automobiles produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. At its introduction, the Cutlass was Oldsmobile's entry-level model; it began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate. The Cutlass was named after Vought F7U Cutlass, as well as the type of sword, which was common during the Age of Sail.
The Porsche 930 is a turbocharged variant of the 911 model sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche between 1975 and 1989. It was the maker's top-of-the-range 911 model for its entire production duration and, at the time of its introduction, was the fastest production car available in Germany.
Garrett Motion Inc., formerly Honeywell Transportation Systems and Honeywell Turbo Technologies, is an American company primarily involved in engineering, development and manufacturing of turbochargers and related forced induction systems for ground vehicles from small passenger cars to large trucks and industrial equipment and construction machinery. It originated as part of Garrett AiResearch's Industrial Division in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1954, after which they entered a contract to provide 5,000 turbochargers for the Caterpillar mining vehicle. It manufactured turbochargers for railroads and commercial trucks. The business produced approximately $3.6 billion in revenue in 2021. Garrett Motion is also involved in motorsports providing turbochargers and forced induction systems, solutions and related equipment to racing teams and various forms of automobile racing and professional competitions. In 2004, the business became part of American industrial conglomerate Honeywell International, Inc., as their Transportation Systems division. In 2018, it was spun off to become an independent company under the Garrett Motion name with corporate headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland.
A flat-six engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-six, is a six-cylinder piston engine with three cylinders on each side of a central crankshaft. The most common type of flat-six engine is the boxer-six engine, where each pair of opposed cylinders moves inwards and outwards at the same time. An alternative configuration for flat engines is a 180-degree V engine, where both cylinders move to the right then the left at the same time.
The Oldsmobile V8, also referred to as the Rocket, is a series of engines that was produced by Oldsmobile from 1949 until 1990. The Rocket, along with the 1949 Cadillac V8, were the first post-war OHV crossflow cylinder head V8 engines produced by General Motors. Like all other GM divisions, Olds continued building its own V8 engine family for decades, adopting the corporate Chevrolet 350 small-block and Cadillac Northstar engine only in the 1990s. All Oldsmobile V8s were assembled at plants in Lansing, Michigan while the engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations.
The Buick V8 is a family of V8 engines produced by the Buick division of General Motors (GM) between 1953 and 1981. All were 90° water-cooled V8 OHV pushrod engines, and all were naturally aspirated except one turbocharged version of the 215.
The Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 is a flat-six air-cooled automobile engine developed by General Motors (GM) in the late 1950s for use in the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair of the 1960s. It was used in the entire Corvair line, as well as a wide variety of other applications.
In an internal combustion engine, twin-turbo is a layout in which two turbochargers work in tandem to compress the intake fuel/air mixture. The most common layout features two identical or mirrored turbochargers in parallel, each processing half of a V engine's produced exhaust through independent piping. The two turbochargers can either be matching or different sizes.
The Ferrari GTO is an exotic homologation version of the Ferrari 308 GTB produced from 1984 until 1987 in Ferrari's Maranello factory. It was designated GT for Gran Turismo and O for Omologata.
The BMW M12/13 turbo was a 1,499.8 cc four-cylinder turbocharged Formula One engine, based on the standard BMW M10 engine introduced in 1961, and powered the F1 cars of Brabham, Arrows and Benetton. Nelson Piquet won the FIA Formula One Drivers' Championship in 1983 driving a Brabham powered by the BMW M12/13 turbo. It was the first Drivers' Championship to be won using a turbocharged engine. The engine also powered the BMW GTP and in the 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated form, the successful March Engineering Formula Two cars. BMW engineers estimated the engine produced around 1,400 hp at maximum boost, however the BMW engine dynamometer could not go beyond 1,280 bhp.
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a high-performance, track-focused sports car built by the German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1993 to 2009, and then since 2010 as the GT2 RS. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine enhancements, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration. The GT2 is significantly lighter than the Turbo due to its use of rear-wheel-drive instead of all-wheel-drive system and the reduction or removal of interior components. As a result, the GT2 is the most expensive and fastest model among the 911 lineup.
The Renault RS01 was the first Formula One car to be powered by a turbocharged engine. It was also the first to use radial tyres, which were provided by Michelin. Designed by André de Cortanze and Jean-Pierre Jabouille, it first appeared at the 1977 British Grand Prix. The rules of F1 at the time permitted 3.0 litre naturally-aspirated engines, with a clause for a 1.5 litre supercharged or turbocharged engine. None of the teams had pursued this avenue, and stuck to Ford Cosworth DFV engines, whilst Ferrari, Matra and Alfa Romeo concentrated on developing Flat-12 engines for their cars, and their customer teams of Ligier and Brabham. Leading French car manufacturer Renault decided to develop a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine, and a car to accompany the powerplant.
This article gives an outline of Formula One engines, also called Formula One power units since the hybrid era starting in 2014. Since its inception in 1947, Formula One has used a variety of engine regulations. Formulae limiting engine capacity had been used in Grand Prix racing on a regular basis since after World War I. The engine formulae are divided according to era.
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Forced induction in motorcycles is the application of forced induction to a motorcycle engine. Special automotive engineering and human factor considerations exist for the application of forced induction with motorcycles compared to other forms of motorized transportation.
The Porsche 911 is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and originally a torsion bar suspension. The car has been continuously enhanced through the years but the basic concept has remained unchanged. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the 996 series in 1998.
Singer Vehicle Design is an American company that specializes in restoring and modifying Porsche 911s. It was founded by Rob Dickinson in 2009, who is also known as former frontman and guitarist of the English rock band Catherine Wheel. The company is based in Los Angeles, California.
Porsche has made a number of V8 gasoline engines over the last 40 years; ever since their first V8 engine debuted in the Porsche 928, in 1977.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)other manufacturers built prototypes and small batches of turbocharged machines, only the Japanese giants attempted to exploit the turbo for series-production bikes
Neither system [superchargers nor turbochargers] has found acceptance in the mass-produced motorcycle market, although a significant effort to build turbos was made by the Japanese motorcycle makers in the early 1980s. Factory turbos were shipped by Honda (the 82-horsepower CX500T V-twin), Yamaha (the 85-horsepower XJ650T transverse-four), Suzuki (the 85-horsepower XN85, using a GS650 transverse-four) and Kawasaki (the 110-horsepower ZX750 transverse-four).