A turbocharger is essentially a fan that forces air into an engine. More air means more fuel, and that means more power when the plug fires. The fan turns thanks to the exhaust gases leaving the engine, so the higher the engine speed, the faster the turbo spins. It makes sense, right?
This nifty Lego creation from Brick Master Builders follows this general principle of using forced air to add power. At one end we have a V-6 model engine, identified by the three yellow pistons visible on each V of the transparent block. On a gasoline engine, the turbocharger would be mounted somewhere near the engine with pipes connecting it to the intake and exhaust systems. This version doesn’t have one either, but there is a gray engine-sized box with a round, spinning object on top. You guessed it, it’s the turbo.
Since these are small interlocking bricks, certain liberties are taken in the definition of a turbo. Among other things, there is no exhaust gas to turn it. A vacuum is put into action, pulling air through the box to spin a turbine inside. In addition, air does not enter the engine. Instead, the turbine turns a shaft that, in theory, is strong enough to turn the engine on its own. But like a real turbo, it’s just a power adder. The Lego V-6 must “work” for the magic to happen.
With an electric motor that turns the engine, the turbo is used. You can’t help but smile when the whistling and whining starts, but the turbo shaft doesn’t change the engine speed. An open axle gets all the power, but once it’s pushed in, the house setup works as advertised. An actuator on the turbo housing circulates air, spins the turbine and the yellow pistons respond accordingly. We don’t know what the engine revs are, but the turbo clearly makes the engine rev faster. How cool is this?
No, it does not meet the traditional definition of a turbocharger. But it’s close enough that we can enjoy the sights and sounds of this small-scale engineering masterpiece.
