A non turbo engine is inefficient as it looses a large about of the energy produced through heat and exhaust. A turbo can be used to harness that energy and recycle it back to the engine. A turbo charger has a compressor side (cool intake side) and a turbine housing side (hot exhaust side). The turbo charger simply compresses the intake air and forces it in to the engine by use of the exhaust gas being forced out of the engine. A turbo charger is composed of two fans attached to the same rod essentially. One fan is in the exhaust housing and it spins as the exhaust gasses pass past the blades. The impeller (fan) in the exhaust housing is connected to a shaft that runs thorough the center cartridge of the turbo and in to the compressor housing side. The shaft rotates at speeds in excess of 100,000 rotations per minute (RPM) and is cooled by oil. The compressor housing houses another fan called the compressor wheel. This wheel forces air in to the intake piping and thus the intake is pressurized. This pressure is referred to as boost. The more exhaust gas is forced out of the engine the more boost the turbine will produce. The amount of pressure (read here engine RPM) it takes to make boost is considered turbo lag. There are determining factors to max boost and turbo lag such as housing sizes, impeller and compressor wheel sizes and housing design to name a few. A turbo charger is a very integral part to high horsepower tuning because it harnesses lost energy from the engine exhaust and in a way recycles it to the intake system. Turbos vary in sizes and design and there are many makers around the world. Japanese turbos and turbo design tend to be some of the best in the world.
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