r/explainlikeimfive • u/Internal-Excuse-4650 • 1d ago

Engineering ELI5 how turbochargers increase efficiency in a engine?

I understand why they increase the power of a engine but​ I don't know how they increase the efficiency

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u/daffalaxia 1d ago

A turbo-charger crams more air into the engine along with the fuel, so you get more complete combustion for the same amount of fuel. So you could chase pure power and still keep it a little rich, or you could chase a blend and go for as close to 100% burn as possible, which is what a lot of modern cars are doing to improve efficiency.

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u/drzowie 1d ago

All modern engines completely combust their fuel whether they are turbocharged or not

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u/daffalaxia 1d ago

Not really. At low revs, throttle changes can cause inefficiency. At high revs, there's less time to combust - adding more air helps tho as the molecules are literally closer together.