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Subject:Supercharger (was: 5 cyl. Audi in Vanagon - was Engine Conversions)
From:Andrew Grebneff
Date:Mon, 14 Aug 2000 22:50:00 +1300

>Techincally, a turbo charger is exhaust driven, a super charger is
>mechanically driven
>Mark

No no no!!! Any form of increasing the inlet charge is a supercharger.
Nitrous oxide is a chemical supercharger. There are various totally
different types of belt-driven superchargers, and these can also be driven
by shaft or geartrain (or even fluid coupling, though I've never heard of
that last being used). Turbo, a contraction of "turbosupercharger", is
merely an exhaust-driven supercharger. And don't forget that fluid drives
and linkages (turbos, hydraulic brakes) ARE mechanical...fluid mechanics.

Maken no difference whether it's driven by belt, shaft, gear or fluid
(either liquid or gas), whether it uses vanes, gears, scrolls or turbine,
it's still a supercharger.

And HERE is where the adage of popular (mis-)usage defining the definition
falls down. Technical (and even more figorously so, scientific) terms are
static; use a technical term incorrectly and it's abuse.

Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
VW & mollusc nut
1969 Kombi with Corvair 2.4 & Powerglide
1975 Kombi derelict ex 3.6 Toyota V8
1984 Caravelle 3.8 Holden V6
1984 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma 2.0 (FWD)
1986 CE80 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel
1989 CT170 Toyota Corona Select 2.0 diesel

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