Supercharger power requirement

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SUMMARY

The power required to drive a supercharger is determined by several factors including the volume of air (cfm), boost pressure, and efficiency of the compressor. For instance, to supply 700 cfm of air at 14.7 psi boost, approximately 41.2 hp is needed at 100% efficiency, while 58.8 hp is required for a compressor operating at 70% efficiency. The equations governing this power requirement are based on the principles of work and energy, specifically using the formula p = 0.00436 * P * (V/t), where P is the pressure differential and V is the volumetric flow. Understanding these calculations is crucial for designing an effective drive system for superchargers.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of thermodynamics, specifically isentropic processes.
  • Familiarity with supercharger types, including positive displacement and centrifugal designs.
  • Knowledge of horsepower calculations and efficiency metrics in automotive applications.
  • Experience with engine performance tuning and compressor dynamics.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the Brayton cycle for work and power requirements in gas compression.
  • Research compressor efficiency ratings for various supercharger types.
  • Explore torque calculations for supercharger drive systems using adiabatic compression tables.
  • Review design considerations for supercharger applications in automotive engineering.
USEFUL FOR

Automotive engineers, performance tuners, and mechanics involved in supercharger design and optimization will benefit from this discussion, particularly those focused on enhancing engine performance through forced induction systems.

  • #31
My apologies, as usual I'm skipping steps as I type. Since I only have the three test samples, I'm not too worried about exact numbers but I should be a little more careful when I post!

jack action said:
So, if we assume an efficiency of 65% in my last equation:

14.7 psi, 700 cfm, 65%: 53 hp

That will be the expected power from the compressor shaft of that particular compressor.
Which meshes well with my understanding.
mender said:
It works out to about (0.004 hp/cfm*psi boost)/compressor efficiency, so the answer to my original question is 41.2 hp for 700 cfm at 14.7 psi and 100% efficiency. That's about 58.8 hp for a compressor that is about 70% efficient.

Adjusting my constant as mentioned earlier results in the lower 36 hp calculated requirement.

The 36 hp is a "pure" number, before the drive and compressor efficiencies are accounted for. Given a drive efficiency of 96% for each of two steps (pulley/belt, internal gears) and a sweet spot in the compressor map of 75%, the required hp would be 52.1 hp. Using your number of 65% with my equation results in 55.4 hp.

For me, that's close enough. With what has been covered so far, I can plot the trends which is what I was after.

jack action said:
0.00467 * 5.8 * 592 = 16 hp (82.6% eff)
0.00394 * 8.8 * 585 = 20 hp (92.7% eff)
0.00379 * 11.8 * 568 = 25 hp (91.9% eff)

Is this for another compressor? The efficiencies look pretty high with the correct equation.

Same compressor but I assumed an efficiency of 70% and took that out so I could compare other methods of compression and drives. Putting that back in yields 23 hp, 29 hp, and 36 hp respectively. Hope that made sense; my shortcuts don't always to others!
 
Last edited:

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