A turbo charger consists of an air compressor and a turbine connected by a common drive shaft. The compressor section of the turbo charger takes in lots of air and compresses it. The high pressure air is then ducted through a PVC air pipe and into a steel combustion chamber. Inside the combustion chamber is a steel flame tube or liner. Air passes into the liner through holes drilled in it.
Fuel is mixed with the air and ignited by a spark plug inside the liner.
The burning fuel heats the air and causes it to expand and rush out of the exhaust end of the chamber which is connected to the turbine section of the turbo charger. As the exhaust gasses blow through the turbine section they spin the turbine wheel. The turbine wheel is connected to the compressor wheel in the compressor section and provides the energy for driving it. An outside source of energy is needed to start the engine by spinning up the turbo charger, but once it is running the engine keeps going under it's own power as long as it keeps getting fuel. It serves three main functions.