What is "twincharger"

n. (context automotive English) A combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger.

Twincharger refers to a compound forced induction system used on some piston-type internal combustion engines. It is a combination of an exhaust-driven turbocharger and an engine-driven supercharger, each mitigating the weaknesses of the other. A belt-driven or shaft-driven supercharger offers exceptional response and low-rpm performance as it has no lag time between the application of throttle and pressurization of the manifold (assuming that it is a positive-displacement supercharger such as a Roots type or twin-screw and not a Centrifugal compressor supercharger, which does not provide boost until the engine has reached higher RPMs). When combined with a large turbocharger — if the "turbo" was used by itself, it would offer unacceptable lag and poor response in the low-rpm range — the proper combination of the two can offer a zero-lag powerband with high torque at lower engine speeds and increased power at the higher end. Twincharging is therefore desirable for small-displacement motors (such as VW's 1.4TSI), especially those with a large operating rpm, since they can take advantage of an artificially broad torque band over a large speed range.

Twincharging does not refer to a twin-turbo arrangement, but rather when two different kinds of compressors are used.