Turbocharger Installation: Is It Important?

Hi there,

Is it important to consider something when installing a charger?
Is the oil inlet at the top and the oil outlet at the bottom?

Or can you rotate it however you like?
(Of course, inflow and outflow will occur through the appropriate boreholes.)

Best regards, Rod.

Okay, just my gut feeling: The exhaust should flow downwards to prevent carbon buildup after the engine is turned off.

The installation orientation must comply with the manufacturer's specifications (data sheet) for that specific charger.

It will probably end up being the same situation regarding the location of the oil leakage within the storage area. Loaders only have contactless seals between the oil and air/exhaust, so standing oil would pass through.

Correct! The contactless labyrinth seal only functions properly when the charging wave rotates.
If the oil were to accumulate inside, it would find its way past the seals.

Ah, thanks for the information!

Can the loader be tilted axially (e.g., with the compressor side higher than the discharge side)?
or does it have to be mounted completely horizontally?

Best regards, Rod.

AGAIN:

It depends on the specifications of the charger. You should obtain these from the manufacturer, as they will specify the installation orientation and the possible tilt angle in all axes.

This can vary greatly from one charger to another.
It's impossible to give a general answer to that question .

Obtaining a datasheet is practically impossible.
The loader is a Perkins loader powered by a Perkins industrial engine.
This is not a KKK or Garrett aftermarket turbocharger.

If nothing is known beforehand, I would also consider the oil flow as a limiting factor when it comes to the tilt angle. In this case, an oil that tends to migrate towards the fresh air side would be more acceptable than one that migrates towards the exhaust side.
The weight of the rotor itself, which acts axially, should be negligible compared to the gas forces, which also act axially. In larger flow machines, these forces are compensated for through a clever design that utilizes the forces on the "back" of the rotor. I find it unlikely that this would work as well in a small wind turbine, especially one that is operated with very different load conditions.

rodNeX wrote:

... The loader is a Perkins loader powered by a Perkins industrial engine. ...

That doesn't really help much right now. You can't proceed without a datasheet.
Someone must have manufactured the loader; Perkins doesn't produce them themselves.
There are still plenty of other manufacturers besides Borg Warner (KKK) and Honeywell (Garrett). Try looking at IHI, MHI, Komatsu, Napier, or Caterpillar. I would start with Caterpillar. They have built a significant number of turbochargers for Perkins engines.

Only a very small number of loaders can be tilted. In most cases, the loader axle must be installed almost horizontally. Otherwise, the roller bearings on the loader shafts will not function properly, and the risk of failure would be extremely high.

Hello,

and thank you both.

Okay, then I will aim for a horizontal position of the loader shaft.
It's not quite that simple, but I want the charger to stay connected and working...

Regarding the make/brand:
It appears to be a Perkins loader, as there is not only a Perkins type plate on it.
but also has the word 'Perkins' cast into the compressor housing.

Take a picture sometime when you have the chance.

Best regards, Rod.

Bertil wrote:

In most cases, the loading axis must be installed almost horizontally. Otherwise, the roller bearing system will not function properly, and the wear would be extremely high.

Do you know the reason for that?

christians wrote:

... Do you know the reason for that?

Just consider how plain bearings are constructed and how they function in a turbocharger. Specifically, when the engine is turned off, the oil pressure disappears, which would cause the rotor to immediately follow the force of gravity (while still rotating at a relatively high speed). The bearing surface that faces "downward" would likely show significant signs of wear very quickly. This issue needs to be addressed through design modifications (which is certainly possible), but it's not cost-effective given the rotor's rotational speeds.


I could perhaps ask a counter-question:
Why are there so few internal combustion engines where the (journaled) crankshaft runs vertically? They all seem to be oriented horizontally.

Same principle, just bigger .

Bertil wrote:

I could perhaps ask a counter-question: Why are there so few internal combustion engines where the (journaled) crankshaft runs vertically? They all seem to be oriented horizontally. Same principle, just bigger

.

....to be honest, I can't think of any particularly useful applications in the automotive sector specifically... maybe for a helicopter or some kind of exotic construction equipment....

ATL uses wedge-shaped bearings instead of simple thrust washers because the axial forces, which can sometimes be greater than the gravitational force, require a more robust design. Radial bearings also experience similar problems when the engine is stopped.

Lawnmowers also have a vertical crankshaft.

...okay, exotic construction machinery and lawnmowers... but lawnmowers and plain bearings?!?