The other option is a supercharger, a belt-driven 'blower' that provides most of its boost near idle, but is limited in maximum operation speed by heat
and friction. There have been a few attempts to mate the two together, specifically Ferrari-tuner Koenig, and its super-tuned Testarossa, but never has such a system achieved mass production.
VW's goal with the TSI engine was not to create the ultimate performance engine, for use in the top-line Passat, pricey Touareg or premium Phaeton, but to provide a high-power, relatively low-cost motor without large displacement. With the implementation of European emission controls, where vehicles are taxed on the basis of the amount of carbon dioxide released per kilometer driven, it was clear to officials that this reasonably sporty machine must also be affordable to run and purchase. Volkswagen chose the 90-horsepower 1.4-litre FSI engine from the EA111 series as the base for this new engine, the smallest of its FSI powerplants.
The German brand's preparation for the Twincharger system included increasing displacement of the engine by 10 cc to 1400 cc even, a more powerful fuel rail capable of delivering gasoline at 2,175 psi (150 bar) of pressure, increasing the compression ratio to 10.0:1, and fitting the engine with an extra-resilient cast-iron crankshaft capable of enduring the engine's high pressure for extended periods of time.
And now the complex part: explaining how VW's system works. Adapting the FSI engine for turbocharging wasn't a difficult task for VW's engineers, as a
turbo was already fitted to the 2.0 FSI motor to produce the 2.0 FSI-T found in the VW GTI/Jetta GLI/A3 Sportback, etc. The challenging issue was how to get the supercharger to work together with the turbo. In the TSI engine, the two blowers are mounted in sequence with a control valve that allows them to operate together or individually. The supercharger, of course, is the new and slightly unusual component. It is a belt-driven "Roots" type blower, however, unlike regular superchargers that are constantly in use, its belts are operated by a magnetic clutch found inside the water pump that is overseen by the automatic boost pressure control system. The system is designed to enable the supercharger to produce boost at lower rpm, and switching over to the turbo at higher revs.
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The other option is a supercharger, a belt-driven 'blower' that provides most of its boost near idle, but is limited in maximum operation speed by heat and friction. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada) |
VW's goal with the TSI engine was not to create the ultimate performance engine, for use in the top-line Passat, pricey Touareg or premium Phaeton, but to provide a high-power, relatively low-cost motor without large displacement. With the implementation of European emission controls, where vehicles are taxed on the basis of the amount of carbon dioxide released per kilometer driven, it was clear to officials that this reasonably sporty machine must also be affordable to run and purchase. Volkswagen chose the 90-horsepower 1.4-litre FSI engine from the EA111 series as the base for this new engine, the smallest of its FSI powerplants.
The German brand's preparation for the Twincharger system included increasing displacement of the engine by 10 cc to 1400 cc even, a more powerful fuel rail capable of delivering gasoline at 2,175 psi (150 bar) of pressure, increasing the compression ratio to 10.0:1, and fitting the engine with an extra-resilient cast-iron crankshaft capable of enduring the engine's high pressure for extended periods of time.
And now the complex part: explaining how VW's system works. Adapting the FSI engine for turbocharging wasn't a difficult task for VW's engineers, as a
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Unlike regular superchargers that are constantly in use, its belts are operated by a magnetic clutch found inside the water pump that is overseen by the automatic boost pressure control system. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada) |