When was turbocharger invented

Turbocharging was banned in and where other manufacturers stopped development of turbo engines when the ban and fuel consumption penalities were announced, Honda developed a miserly horsepower machine which trounced the competitors. Indeed, had it not been for a remarkable incident where Ayrton Senna was comfortably leading the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and crashed into a driver he was lapping, the car would have won every race of the season.

An intercooler now 50 per cent larger, a turbocharger also increased in size, and pressure-controlled mapped ignition served to boost maximum output to horsepower. And at the same time the new car was also a very clean performer, advanced exhaust gas management featuring a fully controlled three-way catalytic converter in metal substrate technology fulfilling the strictest US emission standards. Even the emissions coming out through the bypass valve were cleaned by means of a separate catalyst.

The fourth-generation Turbo made its appearance in early , based on the 3. The engine's performance figures, however, now entered a new dimension, with the new power unit featuring a twin turbocharger. So following the Porsche technology spearhead boasting a second exhaust gas turbocharger for the first time in , bi-turbocharger technology now made its way successfully into series production.

Maximum output of the new Turbo was a shattering bhp at rpm, with peak torque of Newton-metres or lb-ft at revs. Once again, the entire process of developing power was even more harmonious, the two smaller turbines responding even more quickly to the flow of exhaust gas. Another masterpiece achieved by Porsche's engineers was the car's exhaust management system, sophisticated catalyst technology in conjunction with Porsche's new On-Board Diagnosis II OBD II making the new Turbo the cleanest car in the world.

Using the engine's electronic "brain", OBD II was able to detect possible deficiencies in the management of exhaust emissions and record up to 20 malfunctions for subsequent diagnosis. The most outstanding technical highlight featured in the current Turbo which entered the market in early is VarioCam Plus, an ingenious system reducing both fuel consumption and emissions and improving the engine's refinement at the same time.

Fuel consumption, in turn, is 18 per cent lower than on the former model. The great advantage of VarioCam Plus is that it combines two engine concepts in one, adjusting the camshaft on the intake side and varying the engine's valve stroke by means of Motronic engine management. A LaPere bi-plane fitted with a cylinder Liberty engine. It managed to get up to 33, feet without any loss of boost.

The tests were repeated over the next year with the highest recorded altitude of 40, feet. Turbocharging was about to take over the aviation industry. By the mids turbocharged diesel engines also started appearing on ships and locomotives.

The turbo design and manufacturing technology advanced rapidly. During the Second World War, numerous fighter and bomber planes were fitted with turbochargers.

In short, this made them faster and more efficient. Without turbo technology, the B bomber would require 90 cylinders in each of its six engines. With turbocharging, that number was cut down to One of the biggest names in the turbo world — the Garrett Corporation was formed in by J. Their first product was a charged air cooler for the B bomber. The newly formed turbocharger group would later be name Garrett Automotive. They were launched in and suffered from reliability issues, and were quickly withdrawn from sale.

By the time the first oil crisis came in , the automotive turbocharging technology had evolved enough to make inroads within the commercial diesel market. After the turbo fascination in the early years is changing the turbocharger from the power unit to a small helper to us today to help cut carbon dioxide CO2 reduction and the environment. In recent years, again reinforced gasoline engines with exhaust turbo in series on the market.

Again outweigh the advantages. The advantages are:. Language Select your language Deutsch English Polska. Home The history of the turbocharger. History of the exhaust gas driven turbocharger. In Year Oldsmobile Jetfire Turbo Wassereinspritzung.

Reputedly packing more than horsepower in qualifying trim, the 5. He took six of eight races, leaving the once-dominating Shadows, Lolas and McLarens to follow in the long black tire marks that the Porsche seemed to deposit out of every corner.

When the new car debuted later in the Can-Am season, it was clearly at a horsepower disadvantage to the plus-horsepower, 8-liter aluminum big-block Chevys that powered the McLarens and other competition. The result was an horsepower machine that Donohue and George Follmer—he replaced Donohue after his Road Atlanta wreck—drove to six wins in nine starts that year.

The throttle response found in the car could best be described as an on-off switch. They also revised the driver-controlled boost adjustment—boost was now up to 32 psi—while increasing engine displacement to 5. Donohue piloted his trusty mount at Talladega Superspeedway in and managed to capture one last record with it, a lap of It picks up where the turbocharged Oldsmobile and Corvair left off nearly a decade earlier. Then there was the main feature, a KKK turbocharger bolted to the single-cam, 2.

It cranked out horsepower and lb. That turbo Carrera RSR received a 2. Despite the small engine, the car made a big visual impact thanks to its huge rear tires and fender flares as well as a monstrous rear wing—features that enthusiasts would forever associate with the Turbo and its derivatives. Later that year, the street version of the turbocharged made its debut at the Paris Auto Show. The Turbo Carrera—designated in-house as the —featured a turbocharged, 3.

The engine sat between big tires, wide fenders and the now-iconic whale tail. Sporting variants of the previous rear-engined s had developed a reputation for being demanding at the limit.

However, the took that reputation a step further with prodigious power and acceleration—all after a significant throttle lag. This resulted in a tendency to snap oversteer as the rear tires broke loose, followed by even more oversteer if the driver lifted off the throttle.

Still, the ride was rewarding for those with experience. The robust, track-derived brakes stopped the car well after astonishing for the late s blasts through its heavy-duty, four-speed gearbox. The steering and grip levels were also as good as anything Porsche had ever produced up to that time.

The turbocharged is still part of the Porsche lineup, and race-ready variants have been terrorizing the track just as long.

Renault decided to get serious about motorsports in the early s, working closely with the Alpine company to develop the A, A and A sports cars for the European prototype sports car World Championship and, naturally, Le Mans. This effort would use Le Mans as a steppingstone to Formula 1. After analyzing the rules of the day, Renault worked with French tuner Gordini to develop a series of single-turbocharged, twin-cam, 2. The car featured a horsepower, iron-block, single-turbo powerplant.

By , the RS01 had given way to the RS10, featuring a conventional for the time ground-effect chassis and a second-generation engine built around an alloy block.

The new car also included twin turbos and intercooling; better throttle response was among the benefits. At the same time, Ferrari introduced the twin-turbo, V6-powered CK, which Gilles Villeneuve used to win in Monaco and Spain despite its ample turbo lag and handling issues. The Ferrari eventually won the and constructors championship. Rules for limited all F1 cars to liters of fuel, as refueling was still verboten at that point. This put a premium on even more sophisticated engine controls to manage consumption.

Other tricks were employed, too, such as using liquid nitrogen to supercool fuel before races; this reduced its volume so more could be crammed into the tanks.

The F1 horsepower wars continued unabated in , particularly for qualifying, which saw some engines reaching 5. Another fuel reduction in to liters per race failed to slow the cars significantly, so the FIA set forth rules to outlaw the turbo engines by ; rules for and intended to choke the beasts down to uncompetitiveness in favor of normally aspirated, 3.