Turbocharger vs Supercharger

The Supercharger
Superchargers are compressors which use power from the engine to compress
the intake air. In reality, turbochargers are superchargers which are driven by
engine exhaust. Typically, however, when one refers to a supercharger, they
mean all superchargers except turbochargers. There are three types of
superchargers which are commonly used: the roots blower, centrifugal
superchargers, and screw-type superchargers. Each of these superchargers are
driven by a pulley system by the engine crankshaft, so the faster the engine
speed, the faster the supercharger speed. The roots blower and screw-type
superchargers typically operate up to 15,000 RPMS. The centrifugal
supercharger can reach speeds exceeding 40,000 RPMS.

The Turbocharger
Turbochargers, however, are driven by the engine's exhaust gases. A
turbocharger operates at maximum speeds often reaching 150,000 RPMS.

The Comparison: Turbocharger vs Supercharger

Response. Superchargers afford the engine immediate response since the
supercharger is always compressing intake air, provided that the engine is
rotating. Although this initial boost is very small, it's growth is gradual with
increased engine speed, resulting in a smooth increase in power. Turbochargers,
on the other hand, suffer from what is refered to as turbo lag. Because of the
inertia of the turbocharger rotating assembly, the turbo must "spool up" before it
is able to compress air, so there is no power increase at low engine speeds, as
the turbo impeller starts rotating. At WOT (wide-open throttle), there is usually a
very sudden increase in turbo boost at a certain RPM range (typically near 3000
RPM).
Parasitic Power Loss. Becuase superchargers are driven by the crankshaft,
they draw some of the power which the crankshaft would be producing to
compress the intake air. This parasitic power loss can exceed 50 hp. Of course,
the supercharger is more than making up for the power it uses by introducing
additional air. Turbochargers, however, do not use any of the crankshaft's power
in order to operate.

Heat Production. Cooler intake air is denser - which means more oxygen per
unit volume. More oxygen means more power. Roots blowers are notorious for
their heat production. This heat production is a result of inefficient compression of
the intake charge. Turbochargers tend to operate at a much better efficiency than
these types of superchargers. Centrifugal superchargers can be just as efficient
as turbochargers, and offer the advantage of flexibility in placement.
Turbochargers must be placed so that the exhaust flows through the turbo's
turbine. This brings the hot exhaust pipes closer to the intake pipes - resulting in
higher intake temperatures. A well designed centrifugal supercharger installation
can reduce this heating, resulting in a cooler intake charge.
Reliability. People often say that superchargers are more reliable than
turbochargers. Because turbochargers operate at such high temperatures and
are oil lubricated, if they are not allowed to cool down before the engine is turned
off, the oil can bake inside the turbocharger. This can result in shorter
turbocharger life. However, with proper care and cool down, a turbocharger can
last as long as an engine.
Boost Levels. For absolute maximum power applications on engines,
turbochargers allow much higher boost levels than superchargers. In tractor
pulling, to take the example to the extreme, up to three turbochargers are used in
series to produce boost levels of up to nearly 200 psi!

Superchargers
Turbochargers
Response

Roots
Twin-Screw
Blowers Superchargers

Centrifugal
Superchargers

3000 RPM

Fast

Very Fast

3000 RPM

Power Drain

Very Low

High

High

High

Heat
Production

Moderate

Very High

Moderate

Moderate

Reliability

Good

Very
Good

Excellent

Very Good

Very High

Low

Low

Moderate

Garrett, Holset,
KKK, Mitsubishi

Eaton

Whipple, Kenne
Bell

Vortec (Vortech),
Paxton

Boost Levels
Manufacturers