Simplified Definitions

A turbocharger is a type of supercharger which is energized by exhaust gas spinning the drive side of a double pinwheel or turbine.  The other side, or driven side of the pinwheel is another turbine which compresses ambient air to a given value.  The purpose is to provide extra oxygen for combustion with the fuel, sometimes to cancel out the loss of power piston engines experience with increased altitude, sometimes to provide more power than the engine can normally produce.

A wastegate is a bypass for the turbo exhaust, used to dump overboard, or waste, the excess exhaust which is beyond the engine's need for power.  This may be fixed or variable, manual or automatic.

A pop-off safety valve modulates the compressed air produced by the turbocharger, dumping any excess over the preset limits.

An intercooler is a heat exchanger, much like an auto radiator, which cools down the compressed air coming out of the turbocharger.  The heat of compression added to the induction air can be very high, which will detract from the power the engine is able to produce and cause excess wear of parts and sometimes induce detonation. The intercooler reduces this temperature and the attendant risks.

Detonation is a rapid explosion of fuel in the cylinder in advance of the spark plug firing.  It can generate enough heat to melt the pistons and in other ways destroy the engine.

An after-cooler is an M-20 term for a set of baffles, venturis and vents designed to adjust the under the cowl air flow for enhanced cooling of the engine.

~ Bill Sandman ~

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