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Turbocharging at elevation to counteract lower air density

As a general rule, a naturally aspirated combustion engine will lose 3% of its power for every 1,000 ft of elevation gain

Have you ever tried to exert yourself at elevation and notice you become out of breath more quickly than at sea level? This is because the oxygen density of the air you breathe decreases as you go higher in elevation. A similar thing happens to an engine’s horsepower. As a car drives higher up a mountain road it starts to lose more and more horsepower because less and less oxygen enters the cylinder per cycle. This article will teach you more about how to turbocharge at elevation.

Contrary to belief, the higher you are in elevation the less atmospheric pressure you experience. That said, oxygen levels at any set volume (a breath of air, or an engine cycle) at sea level contain more oxygen then the same (breath of air, or an engine cycle) at a higher elevation. The chart below shows how pressure changes with elevation. The higher the ambient pressure (psia), the more oxygen it contains.

As a general rule, a naturally aspirated combustion engine will lose 3% of its power for every 1,000 ft of elevation gain. If you have 100 horsepower at sea level by the time you get to 5,000 feet of elevation your engine is making 85 horsepower.

  • At 10,000 feet of elevation your engine will make 70 horsepower.
  • At 15,000 feet of elevation your engine will make 55 horsepower.
  • At 15,000 feet of elevation your engine will lose 45% of its power due to lower air density.

Please click here to view the full press release.

SOURCE: Garrett Advancing Motion

https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/turbocharging-at-elevation-to-counteract-lower-air-density/

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