This Is Everything You Should Know About The Electric Turbo

Electric turbos are commonly used in automotive engines. Here is everything you should know about them.

As technology keeps evolving and improving, turbocharger as well keeps getting better. The idea of connecting an electric motor to the compressor of a turbocharger is not new. A different expert In the field has long conceived this concept.

It is of most importance to understand conventional turbo to understand electric turbo. They are devices commonly used in automotive engines such as cars, aircraft, trains, etc. it is known that internal combustion engines make power by igniting a mixture of fuel and air. The more the fuel and air are burnt, the more power is generated.

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So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at what an electric turbo is.

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The Electric Turbo

Via: Youtube

The major components of a turbocharger are the turbine, and the exhaust gas enters via the turbine housing, turns the turbine, and leaves through the exhaust outlet. The speed and load of the engine determine how fast the turbine wheels spin with the engine; at idle, the turbine spins at minimum speed as more gasses pass through the turbo housing, the turbine rotates faster at full speed 250,000 rmp.

The compressor wheel is connected to the turbine by a forged steel shaft, and the spinning turbine powers it; the air is drawn into the compressor housing by the compressing wheel, and it is compressed as the blade spins at high velocity, the shape of the housing converts the night velocity low-pressure air stream into a low-velocity high-pressure air stream at the outlet.

It draws in air from the atmosphere and compresses it to above atmospheric pressure, then fed into the engine. The center housing houses the shaft that connects the compressor and turbine, and it also has a bearing system to suspend the shaft and rotate at a very high speed with little friction.

Superchargers, which are similar to turbos, are hooked up directly to the crankshaft. In contrast, turbos are driven by exhaust gasses flowing out of the engine through a turbine directly linked to a compressor fan, so, as exhaust gasses spin the turbine, the compressor spins, pulling in extra air. All turbochargers are used as a method of packaging more air into the engine to generate more power. They function primarily to increase the effectiveness of working in an automobile engine.

There are different turbos types: single turbo, twin-turbo, sequential turbo, and the electric turbo, which is our focus here.

Instead of being powered by exhaust gasses or crankshaft only, electric turbo is powered by an electric motor via the battery. It’s a turbocharger propelled by both exhaust gas and electric power to spin the turbines and create positive air pressure. The main reason to use an electric turbo is to get increased airflow into the engine. Therefore, an e-turbo is a necessity. Audi has released a few cars with electric turbo’s, and they come with a 48-volt system.

The application of an electric motor in a turbocharger enhances its features and provides an instant boost to the engine. Speaking of features, let’s dig in.

Features Of An Electric Turbo

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Just as the conventional turbocharger, the electric turbocharger consists of a compressor wheel, exhaust gas turbine wheel used to boost the intake air pressure of an internal combustion engine.

An electric turbo can kick on quickly and provide an instant boost, while a conventional turbo has to spin up from the exhaust gasses, which as a result causes what is called turbo lag. Turbo lag is the delay in response before an engine responds with increased power. E-turbo thereby narrows the gap eliminating turbo lag by rotating the compressor with electric power when needed. This is one of the most important aspects and benefits of electric turbo technology.

Many remain in everlasting awe of the naturally aspirated ones for their extraordinary reliability. Also, low-end torque production is mainly described as the production of rotational force by an engine at the low end of its rpm range. They increase the amount of air, fuel that can be burnt and increase the combustion pressure on every power stroke, which gives a huge increase in torque at a low rpm—the more the low-end torque, the faster and more acceleration. As conceived by Garret and its competitors, a motor can rapidly spin up the turbo and build a boost for excellent production of low-speed torque and drivability at a lower speed.

Its ability to tap into wasted energy as an electrical generator to power engines directly or recharge batteries is why it is more efficient. At this fuel economy, the reduction is possible. Electrifying turbochargers reduces fuel consumption which thereby reduces carbon dioxide and controls exhaust temperature. Electric turbos work as a silencer, i.e. it produces less noise.

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Major Challenges Of The Electric Turbo

via Audi

Complexity and Cost: Due to their complexity and expensive materials, used electric turbo are likely quite expensive until their adoption is widespread.
Weight and Size: This is also a significant challenge of the E-turbo, particularly with the addition of a battery in order to supply sufficient power to the turbo.

Although this technology is still relatively new and only a few manufacturers have experimented and fitted these systems to their cars, it brings capability never seen before on turbo. It’s just the best of all so far; despite its challenges of complexity, cost, packaging, and weight, its benefits are massively effective. Perhaps the next phase of modern turbocharging technology will solve these.

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