I interviewed an EcoBoost engineer at SEMA one year. He explained the harsh reality of OEM turbo engineering. There are a handful of basic parameters, which are essentially in the following order:
1. Cost (including parts and assembly costs)
2. Packaging (with emphasis on ease of production-line assembly)
3. Emissions and fuel economy
4. Torque curve (on a consumer-grade street car -- where turbos need to closely emulate a big-cube mill and stay relatively invisible to the customers -- you want the turbos to build torque down low where small-inch 'plants need the most help)
5. Mass air flow requirements.
Small, water-cooled turbos are now relatively cheap, reliable, and quick-spooling. They are easily managed with electonics and tamed with GDI.
The giant oil-cooled racing turbos that get all the ink and page views in the performance world mostly aren't. Nobody but a gearhead or racer will put up with a turbo that's just along for the ride until 4,000+ r.p.m., even if the "bragging rights" peak numbers are much higher.
1. Cost (including parts and assembly costs)
2. Packaging (with emphasis on ease of production-line assembly)
3. Emissions and fuel economy
4. Torque curve (on a consumer-grade street car -- where turbos need to closely emulate a big-cube mill and stay relatively invisible to the customers -- you want the turbos to build torque down low where small-inch 'plants need the most help)
5. Mass air flow requirements.
Small, water-cooled turbos are now relatively cheap, reliable, and quick-spooling. They are easily managed with electonics and tamed with GDI.
The giant oil-cooled racing turbos that get all the ink and page views in the performance world mostly aren't. Nobody but a gearhead or racer will put up with a turbo that's just along for the ride until 4,000+ r.p.m., even if the "bragging rights" peak numbers are much higher.
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