In fact, the first supercharger used in a winning racecar was in 1907. Speeds of 100 mph were clocked then using a roots type supercharger—hard to believe such technology was available at the turn of that century. Since then, superchargers have been used on fighter planes to combat the effects of altitude on airplane fuel. In the 1950’s, superchargers began to appear on OEM cars. Today, superchargers are an effective and low-maintenance source of high-end RPM curve boost. 

Unlike the turbocharger, which is an exhaust powered induction system, a supercharger uses a belt and pulley system that runs off the crankshaft. Another difference is that a turbo system doesn’t rob the engine of horsepower because it uses exhaust, while the crankshaft has to do extra work to make a supercharger run. There are three different types of superchargers: roots, screw and centrifugal. The one most used on import cars is the centrifugal system.

Centrifugal Supercharger Systems
The centrifugal system is the only one of the supercharger types that doesn’t provide fixed displacement of air, which means it doesn’t move a set volume of air with each revolution of the impeller blade. The system consists of a ‘fan’ inside of a snail-like scroll. The impeller blades spin and centrifugal force pushes the air to the outside of the blades into a venturi. The air compresses and accelerates as it flows around the scroll. As the air travels around, it slows but the shape of the scroll compresses the air further until it’s discharged into the engine. Compressed air is dense with oxygen, which in turn helps to burn more fuel.

Superchargers Add Extra Horsepower on the Cheap     

The centrifugal induction system is a reliable source of induction due to the simplistic design of the system—there are few moving parts to replace or change from damage or wear. It’s smaller than the other systems and can be bolted anywhere on the front of the engine. It produces the lowest amount of heat of the three systems, which means there’s less threat of engine damage. It also requires less maintenance and tuning than a turbocharger. At $2500.00, it’s cheaper than turbo but more expensive than nitrous oxide.

Superchargers Act Best in High RPM Ranges     

A disadvantage is that the centrifugal supercharger system is slow to create boost, unlike a nitrous oxide system that gives an instantaneous shot of power. The impeller blades in the supercharger must spin at a high amount of speed to begin working, meaning it’s more effective on the higher end of the RPM curve.