Turbo blankets are wraparounds for turbochargers that have been fitted as an aftermarket addition. Where the turbocharger comes as an OEM, you may not need to worry about the turbo blanket since the vehicle manufacturer has already taken care of that. Many of the modern-day automobiles are fitted with turbochargers and we enjoy that extra surge in power while cruising along. But, how often have you noticed the significant amount of heat produced by the turbocharger? When you examine the turbocharger, you can find a flexible material similar to metal wrapped around your turbo. This is the turbo blanket that prevents excessive heat from impacting the performance of your vehicle and keeps several components under the hood safe from melting away. Turbo blanket comprises of a combination of flexible metal, fabrics, and in some instances also ‘volcanic lava rock’ and all these have significant ability to resist a high level of heat.
Some of the older vehicles do not come with factory fitted turbochargers and therefore, owners have to get the turbocharger fitted with the help of a garage or the dealer. When this is the case, a turbo blanket is inevitable to prevent excessive heat from damaging your vehicle components.
Role and Work of Turbo Blankets
Power and fuel efficiency are the major concerns of every vehicle owner and therefore automobile manufacturers continuously strive to focus on these aspects in all modern-day vehicles. The turbocharger is among the innovations to help with this impacting both higher power and better fuel efficiency. Consequently, your driving experience is also significantly better when you have a turbocharged engine. Nevertheless, drivers with a heavy foot should be particularly careful since they can potentially damage the turbochargers, and replacement comes at a stiff cost. Smaller engines are bound to enhance the driving experience as well as fuel and power efficiency while cruising at high speed.
How Does Turbocharger Work?
To comprehend the role of a turbo blanket, it is essential to understand the working of a turbocharger and the manner in which heat influences the performances of the vehicle. For all automobiles, cooler air flowing into each of the cylinders helps optimal performance from the engine. A wide array of sensors are employed in modern vehicles to determine intake temperature, airflow, and air pressure and all these factors play a significant role in adjusting fuel consumption as well as ensuring optimal performance contributing in turn to a longer life for your vehicle. In the case of a turbocharged vehicle, the flow of air is channelized with the help of an intercooler or charge cooler to reduce the temperature of compressed gases. However, these factors do not have any influence on the turbocharger. In practice, one side of your turbo stays extremely hot and is driven directly by the exhaust gases coming directly from combustion chambers. Naturally, excess heat tends to transfer itself to the cooler side of the turbo engine and that brings down the performance and efficiency of your vehicle.
It is easy to fit the turbo blankets
Fitting a turbo blanket is easy and can be achieved quickly once your car is delivered to the garage. These blankets are designed to keep the hot side of your turbo hot and keep the cool side cold. These blankets are also made of material specially composed for withstanding high temperature and matching the shape of your turbo to cater to the heat soak impacting two halves of the turbo. As a consequence, the turbo blanket fits snugly around the turbo so that the heat transferring beneath the hood reduces dramatically contributing to longer life of a wide range of components.
How do the turbo blankets work?
The intense heat generated by turbochargers should be contained for several reasons. The turbo blanket which appears like metal is wrapped snugly around the turbocharger protecting your engine in more ways than one. Your vehicle’s engine will be impacted by the heat from the turbocharger and the singular means of protecting the engine bay is the turbo blanket. When the heat is contained, it contributes to enhanced performance and longer life of the engine. The turbocharger will help in keeping exhaust gases to remain hot. The hot gas in turn expands and creates higher pressure contributing to improved acceleration. Consequently, you can experience a smooth response from your turbocharger.
Quality matters
When you are getting your turbocharger fitted as an add-on option, you should also know that quality matters and only quality components should be chosen for your vehicle. The turbocharger chosen should have decent ratings that are well above the maximum temperature coming from the turbocharger. Turbo blankets with glass fibres tend to be cheaper and can withstand only up to 10000F. Since turbo heat often exceeds this level, a turbo blanket with silica pads that can absorb higher heat and block heat transfer is your best option. The bottom layer of the turbo blanket which stays in contact with the housing should be ideally rated for a minimum of 20000F. Titanium or Onyx are the other materials capable of withstanding very high temperatures.
Conclusion
Being an informed customer will ensure that you get the best quality turbocharger and the expected returns from your investment.
