The Turbo vs Blower argument has been going on for decades and even which blower vs turbo, but how do two things specifically designed to create boost do it differently? Because a turbocharger and a centrifugal supercharger have a similar compressor, it is easy to think that they would both do the same thing in the same way. But the truth is that the way they are powered, and the way the boost they create is controlled, makes turbos and centrifugal superchargers very different in as many ways as they are similar. But can you make them the same? Would you want to? Check out this video from Richard Holdener with answers.
Video Description:
DOES A TURBO MAKE MORE HP THAN A BLOWER? DOES A BLOWER PROVIDE AN IMMEDIATE BOOST RESPONSE? CAN A CENTRIFUGAL BLOWER BE MODIFIED TO MAKE THE SAME BOOST AS A TURBO? WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU SPIN UP THE BLOWER THEN BLEED OFF THE EXCESS BOOST WITH A BLOW OFF VALVE? CAN YOU CHANGE THE RISING BOOST CURVE OFFERED BY ANY CENTRIFUGAL SUPERCHARGER AND MAKE IT FLAT-LIKE A TURBO? CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO WHERE I COMPARED THE BOOST CURVES OFFERED BY A COUPLE OF CENTRIFUGAL SUPERCHARGERS TO THE CURVE OFFERED BY A TURBO. CAN THE TURBO BE DUPLICATED?
Both are centrifugal superchargers not blowers, a blower is a positive displacement pump, like gear, rotary vane, roots, etc.
The only other type of supercharger that can match the efficiency of the centrifugal is the Axial-Flow, like they use in jet engines; therefore this comparison is Phony-Baloney. Can a positive displacement pump match the efficiency of the centrifugal, probably not, but their low boost pressure is much better at the expense of power absorption, there is an in-between compressor that is being used called a Screw Blower, takes less power to run it; makes more boost than the positive displacement, yet take more power to drive it than the centrifugal type.