One turbocharger per cylinder concept

Just as the major automotive manufacturers build concept vehicle to exhibit their design ideas and expertise, so too do specialist companies create projects designed to showcase technological knowhow and potential future developments. UK-based automotive performance specialists specialists Owen Developments has unveiled just such a project with its unique Quad Turbo Kit concept. The project was created to evaluate how small a turbocharger would need to be to be used for each cylinder of an engine. The company sees the main benefit of multi turbochargers is to produce sufficient turbine speed to achieve optimum boost pressure for each of the four cylinders, resulting in better driveability, engine response and more performance.

The design was shown in January for the first time at the Autosport International Show held in Birmingham.

Brian Owen managing director said, "As the Autosport event has such an international audience we took the opportunity to reveal a project we have been working on for some time. The Quad Turbo Kit demonstrates our ability to develop technologies and equipment to meet any vehicle manufacturers’ standards and requirements."

He said, "The project is to evaluate how small the manufacture of a turbocharger would have to be in order for one to be used for each engine cylinder. The reason for the use of multi turbochargers is to produce sufficient boost speed not only to achieve optimum atmospheric pressure but additional boost for each of the four cylinders. This would produce better driveability, engine response and more performance. This technology is a good example, we think, of where the design of future high performance engines may ultimately end up."

"We have received considerable interest about this project which we feel will bring significant advantages for both petrol and diesel engines. Indeed one very large vehicle manufacturing group which produces a wide range of diesel engines has shown considerable interest in our Quad turbocharger design and engineering concept," said Brian Owen.