The turbocharger 112 also includes a compressor section 121 with a compressor wheel 128 that is driven in rotation by the exhaust-gas driven turbine wheel 126. The compressor wheel 128 is configured to compress received input air 140 into a pressurized air stream 142. Due to the compression process, the pressurized air stream 142 is characterized by an increased temperature, over that of the input air 140.

The air stream 142 may be channeled through an air cooler 144 (i.e., an intercooler), such as a convectively cooled charge air cooler. The air cooler 144 may be configured to dissipate heat from the air stream 142, increasing its density. The resulting cooled and pressurized air stream 146 is channeled into an intake manifold 148 of the internal combustion engine 134, or alternatively, into a subsequent-stage, in-series compressor. The operation of the system may be controlled by an ECU 150 (engine control unit) that connects to the remainder of the system via communication connections 152.