How Superchargers vs. Turbos Work

Get to know the differences between superchargers and turbos.
CREDITS
Jacob O'Neal - modeling, animation, texturing, vfx, music
Wesley O'Neal - research
MUSIC
I composed the background music specifically for this video. Hear "Boosted" on my Soundcloud:
/ boosted
PATREON
Help us keep making videos:
/ animagraffs
PRIVATE WORK
Need 3D illustration and animation? Let's chat:
animagraffs.com/contact/
WEBSITE
See more explanations of how things work:
animagraffs.com/
SOFTWARE USED
We use Blender 3D to create these models. It's free and open source, and the community is amazing:
www.blender.org/
00:00 Intro
00:36 How Superchargers work
01:30 Supercharger types
02:30 How Turbochargers work
03:57 Turbo types
04:41 General comparisons
04:58 Boost
05:32 Efficiency
06:03 Conclusions

[@AronDubstepMusic]

To make it clear for everyone, the super charger is the thing that goes SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII while the turbo goes SUUUUUUU STUUTUTUTU SUUUUUUU STUUUTUTU

[@nathanael8082]

Most underrated comment

[@AronDubstepMusic]

@@nathanael8082 thank you sir

[@nathanael8082]

@@AronDubstepMusic You're welcome king 🫡

[@UFO_PILOT]

Whiner vs sneezer

[@Dontbesad-me1vv]

Love it thanks for the heads up

[@Rechtschraihbung]

I actually didn't know how a supercharger worked. Thanks for the video!

[@bilalcakir5750]

Niye bilmiyordun?

[@bilalcakir5750]

@E Double what makes you think I didn't know?

[@Yada_690]

Thought you were daniel (zorbii) from itsjusta6

[@rscrevolutionkrypton5130]

@@bilalcakir5750 because your commenting on a vid that explains how they work? Wouldnt of clicked on the vid if u knew 🤦‍♂️

[@tomr6955]

Goodness me how could you not know!

[@Life_42]

I'm speechless at how well made this video is. Easy to understand and aesthetically pleasing!

[@user-cr4sw4dr4y]

Dude this is so educational I’m having fun learning because of how well it is explained

[@mars-jr5uu]

@@user-cr4sw4dr4y hii

[@studyaccount9431]

nobody asked for your speech 😂

[@pyrodrifter1247]

And short video to boot

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

I'm a mechanic who spent years working in a performance shop, and so I'm already quite familiar with how both of these systems work. But I clicked anyway because I enjoy observing your work. Animagraffs = the best visual education tool I've ever seen.

[@Jacrazzz]

Same Im a mechanic and I just click the video bc it's interesting

[@stevennewman8276]

Kasper...the friendly ghost?

[@kc.47]

Yes

[@SuperSuperka]

it's not "turbos", which is non-sense, but turbocharge

[@stevennewman8276]

@@SuperSuperka look out everybody. Word Po-Po is watchn

[@Leptons_]

Man, this video together with your car engine one and the transmission one are like the holy trinity of videos to get a solid visual understanding of how cars/engines work. Actually, as your library of videos is growing, it might be a good idea to create some playlists on your channel, grouping together videos about similar/related topics or categories of the video subject. For example, • a *_How Cars Work_* playlist for the holy trinity I mentioned above. • *_How Aircraft Work_* - Jet engine, P51, jet airliner, airliner cockpit. *_How Specialised Vehicles Work_* - F1, nascar, fire engine • Maybe a big one for all of your vehicle related videos? • Can probably group the solar & water treatment stuff together. • And maybe group the sewing machine, watch, & speaker videos. Anyway, you get the idea. Sorry for the super long comment. Incredible work as always Jake (and Wesley?), keep it up and thanks for the great content!

[@VWDash]

i love that they did exactly that too!! amazing channel

[@amphimrca]

How guitar amplifier works?🤩

[@magsein]

​@@amphimrca 🤭😄 How does a pregnancy test work

[@hoosiernative9668]

This is what constructive criticism looks like 👍

[@bigchungus1848]

I learned more in this 7 min video than I did in a 2 and a half hour lecture. No bs, straight to the point.

[@ibrahimrabbani3201]

I actually already know how these things work, but I stay for the animation, it's simply too good

[@findingnory]

I'm sure you learned something from this

[@BtcSimmer]

Pausing at about 3:41 and watching arrows explains a turbo in a such a simple way Thanks for the video!!!

[@chwiteboy]

That was an incredibly well done and well made a video, to be honest I never really understood exactly how a supercharger worked. I don’t know that you could have made it any clearer, thank you for your work!

[@jermainejohnson3465]

This is so well done that it temps me to install a turbo charger to my own engine

[@dougaltolan3017]

If the engine isn't built for it, the extra pressure will pop the cylinder head off.

[@renorailfanning5465]

"tempts"

[@i_smoke_ghosts]

recommend buying someone else's project and building off of that as it can be a mild nightmare with a steep learning curve and after a year of fine tuning some might say the experience is worth it.

[@jermainejohnson3465]

@@renorailfanning5465 thank you. I was lacking in the spelling department lol

[@jermainejohnson3465]

@@dougaltolan3017 totally. I for sure wouldn’t do it to a daily

[@zainalabdulla781]

Ever since I found this channel ive always had the same thought, you put in all of work into this and its incredibly amusing to watch

[@Jonas.verhaegen]

I was just learning about these things not too long ago and understood the concepts, but these visualisations really let things come together for me.

[@OctaneInTheVeins]

Good content! Excellent animations with plenty of interesting information and professional sounding voiceovers! The subtle background soundtrack adds depth. You’re never going to run out of subject material. Look forward to the next one 👍🏻!

[@MrUtada]

wow more and more animations being made. this is amazing. i love every single one of these videos. its like a condensed how it's made / how it works.

[@TabInvader]

Fantastic explanation!! Thank you!

[@jonruby1755]

Bro this is the best explanation ive ever heard. The animations were a big help. Thank u

[@JessSimpson1313]

I love watching your videos, you do amazing work!

[@justgivemethetruth]

How on Earth can you produce so many amazing animations, along with the research and explanations for it all. Fantastic.

[@aidansky55]

Beautiful animation and straight to the point. What an excellent video!

[@marcusbattaglia5400]

This.... is AMAZING! Thank you, excellent video!

[@Scythewing12]

Great video as always. Small correction from a centrifugal compressor engineer - compression in a centrifugal compressor does not occur due to the changing cross section in the spiral casing (3:25). Rather, compression is caused by the impeller "slinging" the air to the outside of the spiral casing. This rapid increase in kinetic energy is then converted to an increase in pressure as the air slows down through the gradual increase in area of the spiral casing (or diffuser). Keep up the great work!

[@Leptons_]

Ohhh is that why the impeller blades have so much clearance from its casing? So the outer air can move slower than the impeller itself, allowing the impeller to _squash_ more air into the same space before it leaves the turbo.

[@Scythewing12]

@@Leptons_ I think you have the right idea. Another name for the casing is the "collector," named thusly because it continuously gathers the fluid being thrown out of the impeller. The cross section of the collector gradually increases as the air moves towards the outlet of the casing, allowing the air to bunch up and convert its high velocity into pressure (and heat).

[@wyleybug]

Centrifugal Compressor Engineer, this might be the most interestingly specific job title I've discovered this year lol sounds awesome

[@thorwaldjohanson2526]

Another small correction / point: turbo / superchargers don't just allow for More fuel to be burned, thus increasing power density, but they also increase thermal efficiency. So you get more power per unit of fuel. That's the reason modern aircraft engines go to higher and higher compression ratios.

[@elprofessor0617]

Another great video, thank you very much! 👌

[@TT-dg8kw]

Instantly subscribed. Amazing job on the videos

[@demoneyesjosh]

Dude I just want to say that was awesome. Really learned a lot. Thank you!

[@ajlow100]

I am speechless on how high-quality this video is! Great job Animagraffs!!

[@Zbrown531]

Now if you could do a video explaining how cars suspension works and the different types. Love your stuff!

[@anamositykilla2190]

Ouch 🤣🤣🤣

[@ROMAN-oy5ju]

This channel is so amazing. Mad respect!

[@MilkT0ast]

Dude. These videos are amazing. I already know how engines work but this is so well explained I could show this to my 9 year old

[@Christopher_TG]

One of my favorite topics in automotive engineering. Fantastic video as always!

[@Wisald]

It's worth noting that designs that use both supercharger and turbocharger in the same engine exist, they are called twinchargers but they are rarely used because they are very complex.

[@adityaramesh7565]

It is used in railway locomotives in india...

[@ref1c]

Thank you so much for such simple and in depth explanation. I really appreciate you and wish you all the success.

[@caseybanter5751]

Another Masterpiece! Great job! Can't wait for the next 👍

[@pikkip5613]

Another great video

[@KENARDO]

Excellent animations, and a great introduction to forced induction systems for automotive applications. I'd like to offer some constructive feedback regarding some of the finer technical details: * Centrifugal compressors (including turbocompressors) do not build pressure due to the change in outlet cross section shrinking (it actually grows in cross sectional area), but rather because the kinetic energy (linear velocity) imparted into the air by the compressor vanes is converted into potential energy (pressure) when air molecules slow down as they are flung out of the exducer and into the mass of air ahead of them in the pressurized section of the intake tract. This mass of slow-moving air exists because the engine is an inefficient air pump that cannot ingest air as quickly as the centrifugal compressor can move it. * All forced induction compressors generate heat due to compression, and many supercharged applications use intercooling to mitigate this heating. In both turbocharged and supercharged applications, air to water intercooling is becoming more common for its increased efficiency and improved packaging. Superchargers may omit intercooling because they generate minimal pressure (5-10psig is common, vs 20-30psig in modern turbo applications) and thus heat increase, or because the reduced performance and efficiency is acceptable in trade for reduced complexity. For similar reasons, older turbocharged designs also often omitted intercooling. Evaporative cooling (eg water, methanol, or additional fuel injection) may also be used in either setup to improve charge density. * You correctly note that turbochargers are powered by waste heat. Expanding on this (pun intended) to explain how engine exhaust continues to expand after the combustion process is complete may be helpful to new learners who aren't familiar with this concept. All in all, a well-constructed video that is easy to follow. Good work Jake!

[@muradaliyev9944]

This is so well made and informative, thanks a lot!

[@dannygonzalez3573]

You just keep impressing me every time a new video comes. Wow! Thank you. Good job!

[@paller77]

Great videos! I study as a vehicle engineer and I have learned a lot from these videos, they are very useful and well animated. It would be great to have a video about Planetary Gearset Automatic Transmissions😁

[@mentalhospital1701]

⛽

[@seasnakes6337]

somebody is already did just gogle it

[@puttykitties]

Mighty fine 3D rendering work, I love your art style and minimalistic approach.

[@philipobando]

FBI approved

[@Casualfoe256]

This was such a well made video. Easy to understand and great examples

[@vipindas1]

Very nice graphics and explanations 👍

[@dwaynemurphy8229]

Can you please do a video explaining how hybrid cars work!?

[@medea27]

_Absolute gold!_ 👍 I'm a highly visual, analytical & mechanically-minded person who grew up on blueprints & cutaway diagrams, so these 'animagraffs' tickle every neuron in my brain... just awesome! Communicating technical info in a readily digestible format is challenging at the best of times, but the time & effort invested into these videos must be huge... please know that it doesn't go unnoticed. Bravo Jake & Wesley 👏

[@matthewwynn3025]

Amazing work, as always!

[@stevenoriol5369]

These are very well-made videos that explain often complicated ideas and principles in easy-to-understand animations. Excellent!

[@hamzaesat4085]

Keep up the uploads Jake! You’re my go-to channel for mechanical engineering.

[@MattH-wg7ou]

I personally prefer the power delivery characteristics of Naturally Aspirated or Supercharged engines. Although a spunky turbo can be super fun too.

[@msk3905]

A well spec’d turbo is not spunky at all

[@dutrizacd]

I love your videos and 3D models. Amazing work and I really appreciated it. Thank you.

[@adrian15419]

I already know how these systems work but I love a good explanation and it felt so luxurious

[@mikalcobbs9402]

I’m a master technician and still enjoy watching these. Would be good for mandatory training videos for new technicians

[@R0bsterb0Y]

Great video. One hint: you missed bi-turbo, a combination of two diffrent sized turbos (one small and one big), they prevent in more or less way the "turbo-lag" (the small turbo performs best for low rpm, both combined operation for middle rpm and the big one is delivering supercharging at high rpm).

[@jasonegay7447]

Where has this channel been all my life! This is some awesome content!

[@BenHall289]

Fantastic video, thank you ! This was a clear concise and easy to understand animation and description.

[@engineering_design]

💗💗💗💗💗💓

[@ronhonn1188]

Thank you SO much for the work you put in on this! Absolutely brilliant and I constantly learn from you the weird stuff that I sorta intuited--but couldn't prove? And here you've explained this with genius! I look forward to all your future products, let me know if I can help?

[@renevillalvazo8279]

Amazing video and narration. keep up the great job.

[@twicebittenthasme5545]

Excellent video. Loved the animation! Thanks for sharing!

[@josephtaylor3857]

Have learned so much from Animigraffs. Keep 'em comin' please!

[@appaloosa_]

Thanks to you and KZbin for this 🙏

[@LitoGeorge]

Superb. I know understand both on a detailed level, though I had the general concept before. Appreciated!

[@rydersmith8804]

I am just started learning how a car work so I had no previous knowledge. This video explained it so well.

[@RosarioCostanzo]

Thank you so much, beautiful explanation

[@nvmind4]

Great explanation, as always.

[@84mvera]

Good stuff man, your work is legit

[@kextrz]

Superb video explaining how differently the two systems work, and both systems pros and cons.👍

[@jamesryan6503]

Amazing explained. Thanks a lot.

[@thecombativeone9675]

Absolutely love your videos man I’m hooked!❤

[@aminesaidi4580]

impressive work!

[@calocho666]

Dude… your videos are amazing. Keep it up

[@zaidkidwai7831]

Love the graphics as usual!

[@jamestrammell3107]

I stumbled on to this channel by accident which was a great accident. I have been watching your channel every since. It's very educational and I'm learning how something that I never gave a second thought to has became a very interesting story. Keep up with all that you do you have a great channel. James

[@edward8215]

Well explained, thanks for the video 💯

[@manexito1249]

Amazing video mate, love it, keep like that💪💪💪

[@zacharyhaupert4348]

Already knew this but I still tune in to see these animations and hear that voice! 👏

[@alanmakoso1115]

Great video! Got into this after looking at the p-47 thunderbolt turbocharger

[@9fg]

Amazing work. Thank you

[@klapaucius500]

Very well explained!

[@frankyhernandez476]

Love your videos. Keep doing your thing

[@hakaneroglu493]

Awesome video brother. Thank you so much. Quite informative and simple 👍🏻

[@prabhunavalgund7664]

Thanks for the information, was very helpful.

[@abdallah7077]

literlly perfect big thx💓💓

[@albert.s.418]

This video is perfect for all my supercharged questions.. and is good to know now how turbos works to,thanks. .

[@axuriffgaming]

Very helpful. Awesome video, visuals and information. Just subbed! 🤙

[@geo6447]

Amazing work thank you

[@reustudio2868]

Thank you for your very helpful videos!!

[@lafaders]

Excellent break down. Thank you

[@Aliseven91]

Very good explanation , thanks for the video!

[@lennoxgordon6557]

Thank you, very well explained in general terms.

[@kennethcoskey335]

Great work man!

[@mowglig9382]

Good work man, well done.

[@AlmmsDvs]

I love your channel! I’m studying english and started to watch videos to learn more vocabulary. And yours are so interesting! I subscribed in the first 5 minutes! Thank you for doing these amazing videos! Could you make one explaining how does sound get recorded in tapes?

[@wfhideas]

There were not such videos around when I was a student of mechanical engineering. Great animation.

[@Julian1701D]

Very nice explanation I always wanted to know how super charges work thank you for sharing 😊

[@marvinchrist654]

Amazingly made!

[@raven7068]

Excellent video and you broke it down and explain each different type of supercharger and turbo and the pros and some cons. One more con to the turbo side is oftentimes you have to change your oil much sooner because the turbo uses oil to cool itself down but is extremely hot so you often cook the oil much more quickly than a regular engine would. Me personally I like the superchargers👍

[@pavanb4922]

Excellent graphics, excellent explanation, superb!!

[@stevemwikali4885]

I'll be learning every day

[@Ningen250]

Thanks, well-explained 👍

[@msrtaha6174]

love ur vids man keep it up

[@atahanerer]

That is superb ! Thanks for the content.

[@dadosmtherealones7814]

Wow. Now I understand fully how they work. Thank you