A review of novel turbocharger concepts for enhancements in energy efficiency

Turbochargers are extensively used throughout the automotive industry as they can enhance the output of an internal combustion (IC) engine without the need to increase its cylinder capacity. The application of such a mechanical device enables automotive manufacturers to adopt smaller displacement engines, commonly known as “engine downsizing”. Historically, turbochargers were often used to increase the potential of an already powerful IC engine, e.g. those used in Motorsport. The emphasis today is to provide a feasible engineering solution to manufacturing economics and “greener” road vehicles. It is because of these reasons that turbochargers are now becoming much more popular in industry applications. The aim of this paper is to provide a review on the current testing techniques and validation methods used to analyse different turbocharger types and designs, with discussions on future trends