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Antonov Invents World's First Two-Speed Supercharger
System Adapts Gearbox and Turbocharging Theory to the
Supercharger
Author: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press
Chances are, unless you’re in the know about
automotive components suppliers and developers, you
haven’t heard of a company called Antonov. Antonov is
a European research and development firm, similar to
Bosch or ZF; however, they’re different in that their
approach on automotive components comes from a
different perspective. Since 1995, the brand has
invested over £28 m (equal to $57.6 m CAD, $52 m USD)
in R&D for innovation, and has come up with a series
of key technology products that include the Mechanical
Module, a self-controlled device used to offset
centrifugal forces for flywheels, a compact six-speed
automatic gearbox, and single as well as dual-clutch
manual gearboxes.
Up until now, Antonov spent its efforts on refining
and re-thinking conventional transmissions and
gearbox-related components, however, this past week
the brand moved in a new direction by creating the
world’s first twin-speed supercharger. Like the
turbocharger, the supercharger is a widely used
component designed for improving performance through
forced aspiration, the compression of air, although
the operation of Antonov’s twin-speed unit is unique.
Superchargers use the rotation of the engine’s
crankshaft, via belts and pulleys, rather than exhaust
gasses - the method for spooling up a turbocharger -
to compress fresh air into the combustion chamber.
Compared to turbos, which have a lag or delay period
before action, a supercharger’s response is
instantaneous.
Nevertheless, as with any existing system there is
always room for improvement; superchargers have their
downfalls. As they use belts to transmit power, a
great deal of friction is created, limiting the
engine’s ability to turn at high speeds and reducing
the overall efficiency of the system. Antonov’s cure
to this problem is to combine two types of Rotrex
superchargers - one specifically tuned to deliver
low-rpm power, and another that operates at higher
revs - to create the drive system. The first
supercharger is a centrifugal pump system, which is
small, simple and light. It serves to generate greater
low-end torque, which gives a car its ‘off the line
punch’. Once a certain engine speed is attained, a rev
range that is adjustable to the type of engine, the
drive system switches over to a positive boost
(conventional) type supercharger via a gearbox-like
mechanism to deliver performance geared to higher
engine speeds.
The two-speed supercharger concept that Antonov
developed is a similar concept to turbocharging
systems that use small and large-sized turbochargers
independently to create high pressure boost with
little performance lag. While the sequential
turbocharging system, as seen in BMW’s high-end 535d
turbodiesel sedan, is an effective measure in
combating dreaded turbo lag, the system is high in
cost, and is very intricate and complex. It will be
several years before such systems will be applied to
conventional automobiles. Antonov’s twin-speed
supercharger is much less complex, and most of the
components are encapsulated in a single unit.
The two-speed supercharger will make its debut at the
Engine Expo Exhibition in Stuttgart Germany this week,
with a demonstration on the Zandvoort racetrack in
Holland shortly thereafter. Antonov has already
applied its two-speed supercharger technology to two
vehicles, including a luxurious Mercedes-Benz and a
V8-powered Ford Mustang GT, showing that the system
can be installed into two distinctly different types
of vehicles without difficulty or re-engineering.
In terms of marketing, Antonov aims to target the
import tuner and aftermarket components scene prior to
manufacturers; company CEO Jeff Moore says, "Our
tactic of selling to the world’s largest market for
tuner products is strategically important,
particularly while we are in discussion with vehicle
manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers interested in high
volume applications. It shows OEMs that we are
confident enough to launch the variable drive into the
industry’s toughest marketplace to prove this is fully
developed and readily available technology. We have
experienced strong interest and have already supplied
units to OEM clients for assessment and development
trials."
With today’s high fuel costs, getting more power out
of smaller displacement engines is critical, and
Antonov’s two-speed supercharger could be the ideal
low-cost answer for aftermarket builders and OEMs
alike.
_________________ Þórður '99 M5 SC // '89 M3 S85 // '04 Patrol GR  Alpina wrote: S85 er vondur mótor þó að hann sé kraftmikill...
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