What Is the Difference Between a Supercharger and a Blower?

The difference between a supercharger and a blower is that a supercharger is mounted to the front of a vehicle and piped to the intake, whereas a blower is mounted to the intake on the block. Another difference is that a supercharger is belt-driven and forces only air into the manifold. A blower, on the other hand, forces in both air and the fuel mixture.

Superchargers and blowers also differ in size. Blowers stick out of the hood, while superchargers fit in. A supercharger is an air compressor that increases the pressure or density of air inside the combustion engine. It pushes air into the engine, increasing its density and allowing the engine to have more oxygen-intake cycles. Superchargers can be mechanically driven by use of a belt, shaft, gear or a chain connected to the engine’s crankshaft. Conversely, blowers use centrifugal force to propel air forward. There is no major difference in how blowers and superchargers work, because they both use forced induction.

Superchargers can be compared to pumps because of the displacement that occurs with a stroke of pump. On the contrary, blowers act as fans, because they apply less displacement while functioning. A supercharger and a blower could appear as having no difference, given that both are air compressors. However, the functioning of the two is different.