Twin turbos come into the picture when an engine with two turbochargers compresses the intake fuel/air mixture. A Twin-Turbo is added to the second turbocharger of a vehicle’s engine, and we can do this by assigning a single turbo to work with each cylinder bank in V6 or V8 engines.
Alternatively, vehicles use one large turbo at low RPMs with a smaller turbo for higher RPMs. This second configuration, called twin sequential turbocharging, allows a wider operating RPM range providing better torque and low, reducing turbo lag (revs), and giving power at high RPMs.
Unsurprisingly, having two turbos can significantly increase the complexity and associated costs of the engine.
Sequential twin-turbos
The sequential twin-turbos setup uses two different sizes of turbochargers:
- A small-vaned turbo at lower engine speeds for low exhaust gas flow
- A comparatively larger second turbo for taking over once it’s had a chance to spool up
A compression valve ensures all of the lower energy exhaust gasses that the bottom end of the rev range produces are isolated to the smaller turbocharger maximizing power delivery at a rev range, which is useless in most.
This valve is positioned in front of the large turbo in a sequential twin-turbos. As the engine’s speed increases, the compression valve is slightly opened to allow the larger turbine to start to spool. The valve is activated to open fully at a set airflow volume, allowing the secondary turbo to maximize efficiency.
Twin-scroll turbos
To save the nuisance of using two turbochargers, you can opt for a twin-scroll turbo for your car’s engine. Twin-scroll turbos are two turbos crammed into one casing effectively, and the exhaust manifold is strategically split between the engine’s cylinders. In a normal single-scroll turbocharger, the exhaust pulses converge before and inside the turbocharger, creating an erratic and turbulent airflow.
But the twin-scroll turbo system allows the exhaust pulses to keep it separate and enter the turbocharger through their inlets, minimizing the clashes between the pulses.
Advantages of Twin Turbo V8
The most prominent advantage of getting a turbocharged engine in your car or any other vehicle is getting a much faster and more powerful ride. But you don’t require an auto mechanic to tell you that. However, your vehicle will have the capacity for an excellent and better top-end horsepower than the natural aspiration of the engine and supercharging can afford you. This means that if you wish to get the most out of that growling V8, it will make sense for you to invest in turbocharging it.
Since most turbo engines run on exhaust gasses, gasses that would otherwise go to waste, you don’t lose anything in running a turbo. This also means you can get more power without upgrading from a smaller engine. Larger, more powerful engines are more expensive to run and take up much more space, so a small engine with a turbocharger is a great compromise.
Some more pros of turbocharging:
- Significantly increases the horsepower: It notably shows an increase in the horsepower
- Power vs. size: Displacements in small engines produce much more power compared to their size.
- Better fuel economy: Smaller engines have less rotational and reciprocating mass, improving fuel economy and using less fuel to idle.
- Higher efficiency: Turbochargers run off energy generally lost in supercharged and naturally-aspirated engines (exhaust gasses). Therefore, the recovery of this energy helps improve the engine’s overall efficiency.
How to Choose the Right Diesel Upgrade Turbocharger?
The total power that diesel engines create is directly proportional to the full fuel injected into the cylinder. This fuel needs adequate air for complete combustion. The engine requires around 18 times more air (by mass) than fuel to perform smoke-free. So clearly, when more fuel is added, additional air also needs to be added. The stock turbo has some extra capacity for increased power in most applications.
However, when the compressor outstretches the choke limit (maximum flow), there is a rapid increase in turbo speed. The efficiency drops badly, and compressor discharge temperature ramps up very fast. This results in creating a “snowball” effect, meaning that the higher discharge temps or higher intake manifold temps and higher exhaust gas temps.
Why is Twin-Turbo V8 so Popular?
Historically, the twin-turbo V8 engines gained popularity over older engine architectures because they were lighter and more compact for their power. Its excellent power and torque properties also helped it gain popularity.
Although adding a twin-turbocharger to a V8 usually requires several other upgrades, a single turbocharger is usually responsible for a 10-15% rise in power. A twin-turbo is capable of increasing power output by 15-25% or more compared to a naturally aspirated engine.
So, if you are a speed lover, the V8 twin-turbo is the best option for you. Most young drivers prefer V8 engines for their power, and many racers use a V8 engine to accelerate their vehicles quickly.
With the V8 twin-turbo, many famous cars like the Ferrari Spider and more can accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in just 2.8 seconds and 200 km / h in just 7.8 seconds and have the highest speed of 211 km / h.
Contact Diesel Components Inc. for Everything Turbo
Diesel Components, Inc.’s major goal in adding a V8 twin-turbo is to quickly get the vehicle running and accelerating. So, if you need a new turbocharger or want to repair your old one, contact us at (952) 890-2885 now! Today, Diesel Components Inc. is not just family-owned but offers equipment, parts, services, and technical support to all of North America.
