Boost Horsepower Calculator
Estimate the horsepower gain from adding a turbocharger or supercharger to an engine.
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Understanding the Boost Horsepower Calculator
A look at how forced induction increases engine power and how this calculator provides an estimate.
The Boost Horsepower Calculator provides an estimate of the potential horsepower an engine can produce when fitted with a turbocharger or supercharger. It's a tool for enthusiasts and tuners to approximate the gains from forced induction based on a few key variables.
The Principle of Forced Induction
An internal combustion engine produces power by burning a mixture of air and fuel. The amount of power it can generate is limited by how much air it can pull into its cylinders during the intake stroke. This is known as natural aspiration.
Forced induction uses a compressor (a turbocharger driven by exhaust gases or a supercharger driven by the engine's crankshaft) to force more air into the cylinders than the engine could draw in on its own. More air means more oxygen, which allows for more fuel to be burned, resulting in a more powerful combustion event and a significant increase in horsepower.
How the Calculation Works
The calculator uses a widely accepted formula to estimate the horsepower gain from boost pressure:
New HP = Original HP × ((Boost PSI / 14.7) + 1)
Where:
- Original HP: The baseline horsepower of the engine before adding forced induction.
- Boost PSI: The amount of pressure (in Pounds per Square Inch) the turbo or supercharger is adding above normal atmospheric pressure.
- 14.7 PSI: This is the value of standard atmospheric pressure at sea level. Dividing the boost pressure by this number tells you how many additional "atmospheres" of air are being forced into the engine.
- + 1: This accounts for the initial atmosphere of air the engine breathes naturally.
Practical Example
Let's say you have a naturally aspirated engine that produces 200 horsepower, and you plan to install a turbocharger set to produce 10 PSI of boost.
- First, calculate the pressure ratio: (10 PSI / 14.7 PSI) + 1 ≈ 0.68 + 1 = 1.68.
- This means you are effectively running 1.68 times the amount of air through your engine compared to when it was naturally aspirated.
- Next, multiply this ratio by the original horsepower: 200 HP × 1.68 = 336 HP.
- The estimated new horsepower for your engine would be approximately 336 HP.
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