The history of automobiles entering the lives of Chinese people is still very short. Most people do not know the main components to ensure the normal operation of automobiles. Supercharger is a strange word. Yes, it can bring extra power, but it's not a common component found in every car. As the core content of Bensted's special program, you really should spend a few more minutes to understand the history of this amazing gadget.

What supercharger? Simply put, it is equivalent to a blower, which pushes more fresh air into the combustion chamber of the engine to improve the combustion efficiency, thereby improving the power output without changing the working volume of the engine. Since there can be oil pump, gasoline pump, water pump, steering booster pump and other equipment used to "carry" various liquids on an engine, why not add another "air pump"? But it sounds very simple, and the process of turning theory into reality is much more tortuous.

In fact, just after the invention of the internal combustion engine in the late 19th century, the Germans had a similar idea. Strictly speaking, however, the earliest mechanical supercharger should have been developed by Chadwick, an American, in the first decade of the 20th century, while the first exhaust-driven turbocharger was developed by Dr. Alfred Buchi, a Swiss, in 1909. Turbocharger, the English name of turbocharger, is also used to distinguish it from Supercharger. Unfortunately, at that time, this concept was not accepted by most people.

It wasn't until a few years later that the turbocharger, which could bring more power to the engine, began to enter the practical stage. In 1925, two German ships successfully used a 2000 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine for the first time, which prompted Dr. Buchi's exhaust turbocharger to gain production rights in Europe, the United States and Japan. Since the 1930s, superchargers have been widely used in ships, rail vehicles and stationary machines.

However, turbochargers were originally widely used in the aviation industry. During World War I, military aircraft took the lead in exploring the use of these two different turbocharging devices in order to achieve faster speeds and higher lift limits for aircraft (all piston engines at that time). The outbreak of World War II shortly afterwards further stimulated considerable technological progress. Perhaps the most famous turbocharging technology is the main bomber B17 "Air Fortress" bombing Berlin at the end of World War II, whose power system is equipped with turbochargers made by General Electric and coolers made by Garrett. Rolls-Royce, which produces aeroengines, is famous for its superchargers. The main British fighter jet "Fire-jet" and bomber "Lancaster" as well as the US military's P51 "Mustang" battle essentials are equipped with the best Rolls-Royce "Grey-backed Falcon" engine during World War II.

As for the application in the automotive field, the mechanical supercharger is preferred first, and the product matures relatively early. In the 1920s and 1930s, when expensive turbochargers were still only used in aviation, mechanical turbochargers had already swept across major European and American tracks. The two most well-known cars of that era came from AUTO UNION (the predecessor of Audi) and Mercedes-Benz. AUTO UNION has installed a two-stage mechanical supercharged 6.0-liter engine with a supercharged value of 1.8 bar and a compression ratio of 9.2:1. It uses methanol as fuel to output 520 horsepower at 5000 rpm. The other Mercedes-Benz M125, which also uses two-stage mechanical superchargers, can release 646 horsepower.

It's decades since turbochargers were introduced to car enthusiasts. In the 1950s, the rules of GRAND PRIX Grand Prix were amended, which made Ferrari's natural intake engine gradually dominant in the European arena. Mechanical superchargers began to retreat from the arena and entered the high-performance refitted vehicle market in large quantities. Because there is no power limit, many companies have produced more powerful mechanical superchargers, and the only restriction on such devices may be price.

In the 1960s, the United States contributed the most to the mechanical supercharger. With the emergence of a large number of miniaturized mechanical superchargers and the convenience of installing them directly on the engine, the fans who pursue high power often install an exaggerated mechanical supercharger after the modification of the V8 engine. Perhaps the most representative companies in this period are McCulloch and Frenzel. After the 1970s, in order to compete with Chevrolet's V8 engine in NASCAR, Ford asked McCulloch to design a special mechanical supercharger for it, and the 400-meter linear race also promoted the supercharged engine to be popular in the American market.

Obviously, the use history of turbochargers is far less brilliant than that of mechanical turbochargers. Until the 1950s, the emergence of aviation gas turbines led to the development of heat-resistant materials and the significant innovation of precision casting technology for high temperature materials, which had a far-reaching impact on the development of turbochargers. In addition, the invention of sliding bearing laid a foundation for its further development. With the help of sliding bearings, the rotational speed of exhaust gas turbocharger can generally reach 150,000-170,000 rpm, which is beyond the reach of traditional ball bearings.

Garrett, which is famous for producing aviation turbochargers, has finally solved the technical barrier of turbochargers and pushed turbochargers into the civil automotive market. But when turbochargers were first used on Chevrolet civilian cars in the 1960s, they almost ended up in tragedy, and quickly withdrew from the market because of poor reliability. However, in the field of commercial vehicles, the development of turbochargers is relatively smooth. In the 1950s, Cummins, Volvo and Scandinavia, the main engine manufacturers, began to study the use of exhaust turbocharger technology on trucks. Kurt Beirer, a German engineer, designed a compact exhaust turbocharger, which solved its oversize size and was widely used in diesel trucks.

Turbocharger has been widely used in civil diesel vehicles since 1970s. Mercedes-Benz 300SD and Volkswagen Golf Turbocharged Diesel Edition were the most representative vehicles at that time. The use of turbochargers has suddenly become a very fashionable thing, and companies have at least one high-profile model to use the device, even as a symbol of high-tech and high-end. A number of classic models were born in that era even now, such as BMW 2002 Turbo in 1973, Porsche 911 Turbo in 1974, Saab 900 Turbo later, and even Ferrari has introduced several turbocharged models.

Today, more than 20 years later, superchargers are no longer simply used to improve performance, but also an effective means to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions of pollutants, because they can directly and effectively optimize combustion efficiency. However, as you may know, until now, the use of superchargers in gasoline engines is far less extensive than in diesel engines, because from the technical point of view, diesel engines need the help of superchargers.