supercharger

supercharger

Air compressor or blower used in piston-type internal-combustion engines to increase the amount of air drawn into the cylinders by the movement of the pistons during each intake stroke. With the additional air, more fuel is burned, and the engine's power is increased. In aircraft engines, supercharging compensates for the reduced atmospheric pressure at high altitudes. Development of the gas turbine, which requires a constant flow of air and fuel, led to the turbosupercharger, a centrifugal blower driven by a small gas turbine powered by the exhaust gases from the engine cylinders.

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supercharger

a device, usually a fan or compressor driven by the engine, that increases the mass of air drawn into an internal-combustion engine by raising the intake pressure

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supercharger [′sü·pər‚chär·jər]

(mechanical engineering)

An air pump or blower in the intake system of an internal combustion engine used to increase the weight of air charge and consequent power output from a given engine size.