Supercharger – Advantages and Disadvantages

What is a Supercharger?

A supercharger is a device that increases the pressure of an engine’s intake of air by compressing it. This increases the power output of the engine and reduces its fuel consumption.

Advantages of Supercharger:

1. They are simpler and more reliable because they don’t have the complexities of turbine blades.
2. Superchargers also generate less heat than turbochargers, which can be important in a high-performance engine.
3. Superchargers provide a significant boost in horsepower and torque, which can be especially advantageous for smaller or lower-powered engines.
4. Supercharger are relatively easy to install and don’t require any major modifications to the engine. 
5. A supercharger can also improve fuel economy by providing a denser air charge that allows the engine to run more efficiently.
6. No lag time like you get with a turbocharger.

Disadvantages of Supercharger:

1. The main disadvantage of supercharger is that they take up space in the engine bay. This can be a problem in ultra-compact cars or motorcycles. Turbochargers are smaller and can be mounted further away from the heat-generating exhaust manifold.
2. Supercharged engines produce more heat than non-supercharged engines.
3. It required an efficient cooling system.
4. Higher parasitic power loss, meaning the engine has to work harder to turn the supercharger than it does to turn the impeller on a turbocharger.
5. They require more maintenance than turbochargers. 
6. If the engine is not tuned correctly, it can cause damage to the engine. 
7. The added weight of the supercharger can make the car harder to handle.

Supercharger