Different kinds of Supercharger

Are there really different kinds of superchargers for your Accord? Yes there are. There are two main types that you can purchase. They are classified by method of compression: positive displacement and dynamic compression.

A positive displacement one delivers a fairly constant level of boost regardless of engine speed, while a dynamic compressor one delivers increasing boost with increasing engine speed.

A positive displacement supercharger delivers an almost fixed volume of air per revolution at all speeds. The supercharger divides the air into parcels for delivery to the engine. This supercharger mechanically moves the air into the engine bit by bit. A positive displacement supercharger is further divided into internal and external compression devices.

There have been a wide variety of these type of superchargers over the years. Some of the key ones are: Roots; Wankel engines, Sliding Vane; Lysholm Screw, and a Scroll-Type.

The external compression supercharger is known to be inefficient when used at higher levels of boost. This is because air is pumped at ambient pressure into the engine. When the engine is under boost, the pressure at the intake manifold is higher than the pressure coming from the supercharger. This creates a back flow from the motor to the supercharger until the pressures are equal. While the backflow compresses the incoming air, it does so in an inefficient manner.

An internal compression supercharger compresses the air inside of the supercharger, and then this compressed air can be delivered to the motor at little or no back pressure. This is much more efficient than the external supercharger compression approach. An internal compression supercharger must be matched to the expected boost pressure, if you want to achieve high efficiency. If this is not done, then this type of supercharger will have the same efficiency problems as the external supercharger.