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iTrader: (1)

What is the difference between a supercharger and a turbo charger and which gives better performance?

FastSC300

good question,

SC vs. TC

first of a TC is much more efficient in creating power, because it uses the engines exhaust power and does not create any kind of drag on the engine as a super charger can suck up to 12% or more of power just turning the blower.

Turbo's will in most cases create more power, mainly because they can build more boost and the engine is not losing power in producing power. However I have seen some SC'ed applications running high boost, 32psi create some good numbers, 500-600rwhp, but I believe everything being equal, you would create atleast 75-100rwhp more than a SC setup, based on a properly sized turbo and using it in it's effeciency range. Besides you would still have to intercool a SC setup running high boost as well, because at high boost, intake charges are too high.

Another reason turbos are better is because they operate at higher rpm's, the turbines them selfs spin much higher than that of a SC is capable of, were taking like 225,000 rpm compared to 100,000 rpm(?) here. Also turbo in my opinion are much more flexible than blowers, meaning boost regulation is much more easy to control, where as you have to change a pulley to change boost levels, and most street blowers dont push more than 12-14psi anyways.

Hope this helps, there are some good sites to help explain why TC's are better just look in GOOGLE
SCot Hail

mdfdsc300

Scot has some great points. Do a search on this topic on the net and you'll find out more than you wish to know. If I recall correctly, the Miata forum had a great debate on this.
Some other general points of view are (b/c a variety of perspectives is only healthy):

Turbo: typically run higher boost, higher heat, more plumbing, more stress b/c of higher boost, generally have turbo lag. The higher boost will often require that more fuel be added and timing set back. Can traditionally achieve higher hp #s b/c of the above as well.

S/C: relative to turbos, less engine bay heat, less plumbing (easier for the shadetree mechanic to do, traditionally less boost (typical applications run about 6psi for sufficient gains), some run SCs at such low boost that no major fuel addons are required, power comes on a relatively lower rpms/more torque, more instantaneous (although the twin turbo setups nowadays make turbo lag a thing of the past) power. You also get the SC whine that some people like.

Now with all that said, you really need to match the type of blower to the car, application, and your goals. Larger displacement engines typically look to the SCs b/c the scavenging effects of the SCs are no big deal to them. Smaller engines look to the turbos for higher top end. Lingenfelter has a TT application for the C5 corvette, so the traditional lines are becoming blurred.
I have never heard of an SC application available for the SCs.