Apparatus and method for boosting engine performance

A supercharger for boosting an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders in a V-configuration and engine heads associated with the cylinders, the supercharger comprising:

• a booster chamber located below the engine heads in a valley of the internal combustion engine in the V-configuration, said booster chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• an intake air tube having a first section and a second section and coupled to the inlet of said booster chamber;
• a plenum between said booster chamber and the first section of said intake air tube, the plenum being spaced apart from the first section of the intake air tube and communicating with said booster chamber via the outlet;
• a first group of engine intake runners communicating with said plenum via a first set of intake ports above the engine heads of the internal combustion engine;
• a second group of engine intake runners communicating with said plenum via a second set of intake ports above the engine heads of the internal combustion engine;
• a booster in said booster chamber and configured to pump air from said intake air tube to said plenum;
• and
• an intercooler in said plenum below the first and second sets of intake ports, said intercooler having a thickness equal to or less than three centimeters.

A method for boosting engine performance, comprising:

• establishing an intake air path from an intake air inlet to a compressor chamber, the intake air path having a first section and a second section substantially perpendicular to the first section;
• compressing air in the compressor chamber;
• driving compressed air into a plenum located between the compressor chamber and the first section of the intake air path, the plenum being defined by a wall spaced apart from a wall defining the intake path;
• cooling the compressed air in the plenum using a liquid cooled intercooler having a thickness smaller than three centimeters;
• and
• feeding the compressed air into a plurality of runners via a plurality of runner intake ports located in the plenum and adjacent the first section of the intake air path, each of the plurality of runners having one obtuse bend from the corresponding runner intake port to a corresponding cylinder in an internal combustion engine.

A supercharger for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders in a V-configuration and cylinder heads defining a valley therebetween, the supercharger comprising:

• intake runners each including an intake port positioned above the cylinder heads and an exit port adapted to be in communication with one of the cylinder heads;
• a chamber located between the cylinder heads in the valley of the internal combustion engine, at least a portion of the chamber being located below the interconnection of the cylinder heads and the exit ports, the chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• a plenum positioned between the chamber and the intake ports and in communication with the chamber via the outlet;
• a compressor in the chamber configured to pump air from the inlet to the intake runner exit port;
• and
• a substantially parallelepiped-shaped intercooler positioned within the plenum and below the intake ports, wherein the intercooler has a thickness equal to or less than three centimeters.