Automotive / Motorsport Powertrain

Turbocharger Technologies
ad6382@coventry.ac.uk
Gareth Williams 1
Assistant Professor in Automotive Engineering (Motorsport)
 Turbocharger Technologies
1. Theory and Characteristics 24.01.2023
2. Sizing and Surge 31.01.2023
3. Turbine Characteristics 07.02.2023
4. Boost Control and Charge Cooling 14.02.2023
5. Motorsport Specific Functions 21.02.2023
Turbocharger Technologies
3. Turbine Characteristics
Gareth Williams
Assistant Professor in Motorsport Engineering
 83g/sec = 11 lbs/min
Approx. 300kg/hr

Approx. Amount of airflow

required per 100kW
 Forced Induction - Turbines
Introduction
• Turbine converts the engine exhaust gas into
mechanical energy to drive the compressor
• The gas is restricted by the turbine’s flow cross-sectional
area. It results in a pressure and temperature drop
between the inlet and outlet which is converted into
kinetic energy to drive the turbine wheel.
• Main types:
– Axial flow: Flow through the wheel is only in the axial
direction
– Radial flow: Gas inflow is centripetal and gas out flows
in an axial direction
• The radial flow turbine is the most popular type for
automotive applications.
 Axial Turbine
In the axial-flow type, flow through the wheel
is only in the axial direction.

In radial-flow turbines, gas inflow is centripetal, i.e. in a radial direction from the outside in, and
gas outflow in an axial direction. the radial-flow turbine is the most popular type for
automotive applications

Radial Turbine
“BorgWarner” Turbo manufacturer says
Up to a wheel diameter of about 160
mm, only radial-flow turbines are
used. This corresponds to an engine
power of approximately 1000 kW
per turbocharger.

From 300 mm onwards, only

axial-flow turbines are used.
Between these two values, both
variants are possible.

http://www.turbos.bwauto.com/products/turbochargerTurbine.aspx
Turbine Operation
• Performance is proportional to the pressure drop across the turbine
• A turbine’s behaviour is determined by
• Specific flow cross section
• Throat cross section }
A/R Ratio

Adjusted with a change of

turbine housing

• Wheel inlet, exit area contour

Same sized wheel but different shaped blade area

Flat inlet tip:
Cupped inlet tip:
Fast spool
Higher flow,
but reduced
spool increased
flow
 Exhaust Turbine map
The turbine map is orientated with the pressure ratio (also known as the expansion
ratio) on the horizontal axis and the corrected flow on the vertical axis; turbines are
also known as expanders as the gas starts off at a high pressure entering the turbine
and expand to a lower pressure as it exits the turbine.
The turbine efficiency map; there are efficiency lines which correspond to each
compressor speed line with the efficiency plotted on the right vertical axis.
 Exhaust Turbine map

The top set of red curves are the efficiency lines and the bottom set of green lines are the
mass flow rates corresponding compressor speeds.
The turbine map also has corrected mass flow rates and corrected speeds just like the
compressor map. However, one difference is how the turbine pressure ratio is calculated;
the pressure ratio on the turbine side uses total pressure at the turbine inlet and static
pressure at the turbine outlet.
Compressor map and Turbine map
The turbine map shows plots for a small and a big A/R
turbine housing, the big A/R turbine housing requires more
turbine flow than the small A/R housing to get the
turbocharger up to the same speed and compressor flow.
Looking at the end of speed line #3, the larger A/R housing
requires more flow, but also has a lower pressure ratio
resulting in less back pressure on the engine; less back
pressure improves the ability to make power by improving
volumetric efficiency.
 Turbine efficiency
Turbine efficiency is the other major player in affecting spool-up and
transient response.
The variables affecting turbine efficiency are:
• compressor wheel to turbine wheel match,
• turbine housing A/R,
• turbine housing volute shape,
• turbine wheel to housing clearances,
• the bearing system
4
3
2

A turbine map showing the general efficiency trend.

 Bearings

Bearings may seem simple, but they are vitally important for the turbo to function
without damage
• Support and damping to control radial and axial motion
• Isolate Vibration
• Allow the wheels to spin in excess of 200,000rpm
• Minimise energy loss
• Work effectively with ‘friction reducing’ modern oils
• Work effectively at high oil temperatures
 Thrust loading, how much?

Rough estimate from:

𝑃𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 − 𝑃𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏 𝐴𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏

For 50mm wheels @ 1 bar ∆P

~ 195N

• Radial Loads cause shaft motion.

• Thrust loads are the result of pressure differential in compressor and turbine
housings.

• 2 main categories of bearing used, Hydrodynamic (Journal) or Ball Bearing

 Hydrodynamic (Journal)
Bearing
• Contains cylindrical bearings for
radial loads and Thrust Bearing
• Uses hydrodynamic principle where
a film of oil prevents contact
• Oil film therefore has to support all
loads
• Has ‘high’ parasitic loss generated as
heat
Ball Bearing
• Metal/Ceramic ball bearing
cartridges
• 1 bearing cartridge replaces 3
journal bearing components
• Lower clearances, does not rely on
hydrodynamic principle
• Lower parasitic loss = less heat
transferred into the oil
• Require less oil for lubrication
 Speed response after sudden throttle opening at 2000rpm (2l SI engine)
140
Turbospeed ( rpm * 103)

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
-0.4 0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2
Time (s)

Ball Bearing Journal Bearing

• In this example the ball bearing turbo ‘spools up’ in 75% of the time of the journal
bearing

• Ball bearing has less parasitic loss and leads to faster spool times
• For Motorsport ball bearings are used

• Ball bearings are noisy and more costly than Journal bearings so production market
generally used journal bearing turbos
• With reduction in friction by low viscosity oil being adopted for fuel consumption,
the use of journal bearings in road cars will phase out
Twin Scroll Turbo (Twin – entry Turbines)

The twin-entry turbines is to prevent the various cylinders from interfering with each other
and allow exhaust gas pulsations to be optimised, because a higher turbine pressure ratio is
reached in a shorter time. Thus, through the increasing pressure ratio, the efficiency rises,
improving the all-important time interval when a high, more efficient mass flow is passing
through the turbine.

As a result of this improved exhaust gas energy utilisation, the engine's boost pressure
characteristics and, hence, torque behaviour is improved, particularly at low engine speeds.
Twin Scroll Turbo
Race exhaust manifold Twin
Scroll (divided Manifold）
Twin Scroll Turbo map
MAZDA dynamic pressure turbo

Mazda (CX9 model) Dynamic Pressure Turbo

Charge Cooling
 Temperature Considerations
If we are running a centrifugal compressor (ie a
Turbo or centrifugal Super charger), then we will
compress the incoming airflow.
The compression goes hand-in-hand with
temperature rise, so we must take this into account.
Something Good to know
Traction drive

The ROTREX company

patented traction drive uses an
elastic annulus with a small
pre-span to secure contact
between the roller planets and
the sun shaft with a reasonable
force. The patented "ramp
effect" increases efficiency and
reliability in the transmission by
regulating the torque transfer
capability on demand through
self-adjusting planet geometry.
 Calculation
CDT (Compressor Discharge Temperature)

The compressor discharge temperature will depend on

the pressure ratio of the compressor, and the
temperature of the incoming airflow.
((γ-1)/γ)
CDT: T2 = T1 (P2/P1)

Where as:
T1 = inlet air temperature (K)
T2 = CDT:compressor discharge temperature (K)
P1 = inlet pressure (Pa absolute)
P2 = compressor discharge pressure (Pa absolute)
γ = Adiabatic Index of Expansion (1.4 @ 20c Dry Air)
Example: CDT (Compressor Discharge
Temperature)

Inlet pressure at normal atmospheric pressure (101.3kPa),

and at ambient temperature of 20C (293K).

If gauge pressure 1bar boost, then our outlet pressure will be

101.3KPa + 101.3kPa = 202.6kPa.
((1.4-1)/1.4)
Inputting data, T2 = 293 x (202.6/101.3)
0.2857
=293 x (2)

= 357.2K = 84.2°C
 Result
T2 = 357.2K = 84.2°C
84.2°C - 20°C =A temperature increase of 64.2°C

This is assuming a compressor efficiency of 100%

but in reality we are likely to be looking at a value
for ηc (Compressor efficiency) of around 70-80%
 Modifications
We must modify our calculations in light of this drop in
efficiency. The change in adiabatic conditions (ie 100%
assumes that no extra heat energy is imparted to the airflow)
will raise the temperature according to the efficiency, such
that:

Ideal temperature rise

= Actual temperature rise
Adiabatic efficiency
 Example
If we assume a compressor efficiency, ηc (eta C) of 70%
(given that centrifugal compressors operate in this sort of
efficiency range), then we can use:
∆𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙
∆𝑇𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 =
𝜂𝑐
𝛾−1
𝑃2 𝛾
Hence 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙 = 𝑇1 − 𝑇1
𝑃1

𝛾−1
𝑃 𝛾
𝑇1 𝑃2 −𝑇1
1
And therefore Δ𝑇𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 =
𝜂𝑐
 Result
Therefore:
CDT (Compressor discharge temperature) is equal to:
ΔTactual + T1
0.2857
which equals ((T1(P2/P1) ) – T1)/ηc + T1

γ = Adiabatic Index of Expansion (1.4 @ 20c Dry Air)

((1.4-1)/1.4)=0.2857
ηc (compressor efficiency 70%) = 0.7
0.2857
CDT = ((293(202.6/101.3) ) – 293)/0.7 + 293
CDT = 384.7K, a temperature increase of 91.7°C
 Solution
From the temperature rise, Air to Air or Water Heat exchanger
(intercooler) applications is needed to be able to cool the airflow after
discharged from the compressor.
Multi-stage turbocharging will obviously generate a temperature rise at
each stage, so it will need to also look at inter- and after-coolers.
Intercooler
 Intercooler
Decrease the temperature of the charge

T 
P
=
RT
More mass and therefore more power
 Intercooler efficiency and the
pressure drop

Around 70-90% efficiency.

To calculate the intercooler efficiency and the
pressure drop:

T IC drop = (T IC in - T ambient) x IC efficiency

Intercooler pressure drop 3-6kpa or could be

more if the plumbing is especially complex.
 Additional cooling solution
Intercooler water spray Cooling effect
F1 Intercooler
F1 Intercooler
F1 Intercooler
 F1 Intercooler
Micro tube Air to Water heat exchanger