Here’s how complete the KraftWerks S2000 Rotrex-based supercharger kit is, including a Lam
The relative size of the annulus/drum and planetary rollers inside it is how a Rotrex supercharger creates its very high overdrive and compressor shaft speed. In Oscar’s words, “When the annulus/drum rotates, its larger surface area moves across the smaller planets, accelerating the speed of the planets in the process. These planets in turn have a greater surface area than the output shaft that turns the compressor wheel. It is these two multiplication factors that give the Rotrex its high overdrive ratio.” This makes overdrive factors as high as 12.7:1 possible, compared to most centrifugal superchargers that run at overdrives of 2:1 or 3:1. What this means is that if a supercharged engine makes 10 psi at maximum rpm, the Rotrex-powered engine will have more than four times the airflow up to the point where both superchargers make the same 10 psi of boost. So it’s the high overdrive system that allows the Rotrex to use smaller, more efficient low-pressure ratio compressor designs, very much like a turbo would use, making it easier to install in the tight engine bays of today’s sport compact machines.
But the advantages of Rotrex’s supercharger design don’t stop there. Because these are sealed units that have their own separate oiling system, there’s no need to tap the engine’s oil pan. This also means that, unlike a turbocharger, the Rotrex blower doesn’t tax the engine’s existing cooling and oiling systems, helping keep underhood and engine operating temperature under control. The big drawback to turbochargers, after all, is that they use the energy supplied by exhaust gases to power the compressor, the by-product of which is heat—and lots of it. According to Oscar, “The problem with all this turbo-related heat buildup and the fact that the turbo spools so rapidly at mid rpm levels without being controlled by the crankshaft, is that ECU tuners are forced to throw a ton of fuel into the combustion chamber and pull timing at the point of full spool to protect against detonation. With a Rotrex supercharger you can actually do the exact opposite, leaning out the [air/fuel] ratio and adding timing because the system runs so cool. As a result, you end up with improved fuel efficiency and more consistent and reliable power production.”
KraftWerks first brought its Honda S2000 supercharger kit, followed by several different kits including a Honda Fit kit, a Honda K-series race kit, a soon-to-be-released ’06–09 Honda Civic Si kit, and ’90–05 Mazda Miata and Nissan 350Z kits.
According to Oscar, the compact size of the Rotrex superchargers has allowed KraftWerks to develop some very elegant kits that require no cutting, drilling or other permanent alterations to the vehicle it’s being installed on. “My philosophy has always been to engineer my supercharger kits such that no cutting or drilling is required. We don’t take any shortcuts with our kits,” Oscar says, “because we want them to be straightforward to install as well as very reliable, providing OE-like characteristics with respect to driveability, fit and finish.”