One of the current rages in the turbocharger aftermarket is the billet compressor wheel. The traditional compressor wheel for most turbochargers is made of cast aluminum. Cast aluminum is a reasonably good material to make a complex part such as a compressor wheel out of economically in large scale production. However, cast aluminum is not as strong and does not have as good mechanical properties as billet aluminum.
One of the problems cast wheels can have are small voids and other internal defects. These voids can cause points of stress concentration inside the compressor wheel which carries a lot of load due to the high rpm it turns at (up to and over 150,000 rpm in some cases). These areas of high stress are called stress risers and can result in wheel failure. The other issue is that the mechanical properties of cast aluminum are limited as far as strength. For these reasons a cast wheel has to be designed with these issues in mind and the blades are made thicker and the center hub chunkier and stronger.
 |
 |
Finish the article at motoiq.com
Related Articles
S30.world Launches "The Masterpieces" - Celebrating Nissan's S30 Platform
Chopping Block: Lexus LS
Chopping Block: Audi A7 and S7
2027 Golf R to get 394-hp 5-cylinder turbo?
Nissan rolls out Z Heritage Edition for 2026, confirms manual for Z NISMO
2026 Honda Prelude makes its North American debut
