A supercharged challenge to turbochargers
The last time most of us probably saw a supercharger was on a fuel dragster. Hansen Engine Technologies Inc. in Plymouth, Minn. wants to put them on production vehicles. They claim their ”continuously variable displacement” technology makes this a feasible idea. In operation, a servo motor would replace the human hand visible in the image. The servo motor would continuously adjust the blower displacement. Lab tests have established that the variable displacement system consumes only half the power of a conventional same-sized supercharger to operate at the speeds and boost pressures that dominate the US-EPA automotive driving cycles. Conventional blowers are typically sized to give peak power at the engine’s highest speed and power setting. This wastes fuel during low speeds and power settings of normal driving. Hansen claims a vehicle equipped with its blower can meet or exceed a turbocharged vehicle’s fuel economy when operating at the variable speeds and manifold pressures typical of the US-EPA drive cycles. And with no turbo lag.
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