Turbocharging is one of the most effective ways to increase the power and efficiency of an internal combustion engine. In original equipment, exhaust gas turbochargers and mechanically driven superchargers are predominantly used. The trend toward so-called “downsizing” of engines has led to a sort of renaissance for mechanically driven superchargers, or “compressors.” Both concepts have their inherent advantages and disadvantages, so it made sense to develop a system that attempts to combine their benefits.
The mechanically driven Rotrex radial compressor essentially consists of the intake-side half of an exhaust gas turbocharger and a planetary gearset that transmits the crankshaft speed to the required turbine speed. This concept offers a number of advantages, particularly for engine tuners:
Advantages over mechanically driven compressors based on the “Roots” or “Lysholm” principle
- Lower power loss (higher efficiency)
- Continuous mass flow
- Boost characteristics compatible with high-revving engines
- Less heating of the charge air
- Lower noise emissions
- Lower weight
- Better “packaging”
Advantages over the exhaust gas turbocharger
- Less adaptation and installation effort
- No complex modifications to the exhaust system
- No or only minor interventions in the engine mechanics
- Better response
- Lower thermal load on the engine peripherals
- Simple
An experienced engine tuner will take these factors into account, as well as the customer’s expectations, when considering ways to increase performance. Experience shows, however, that in modern engines with specific outputs in the range of 100 hp/liter, A power increase of about 30% does not result in any significant loss of everyday usability or service life. A prerequisite, however, is careful adaptation of the entire ignition and fuel injection map to the changed conditions.
The power of an internal combustion engine is proportional to its air flow rate. Modern high-performance engines achieve filling ratios of over 100% in the range of their maximum torque. This dynamic boost is achieved through oscillating intake manifolds or resonance systems. A supercharger driven by exhaust gas or mechanically can further increase the filling ratio. Selecting the “right” supercharger is of particular importance in this context.
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Complete documentation available as a PDF download
Complete documentation available as a PDF download
