Browse Topic: Racing engines
How Honda's Grand Prix motorcycle program in the 1960s created the world's most-advanced IC engines. Fire-bombing destroyed Japan's 66 largest cities and their industry during World War II. After the war, more than 200 makers of light motorbikes sprang into being because such transportation could be quickly tooled for production. Only a few of the startups - those known for reliable, maintainable products - survived. By the late 1950s, saturation of the domestic market imposed a choice: export or stagnate. Only a few returning U.S. servicemen had ever heard of Honda motorcycles. Who would buy them? Soichiro Honda, a self-taught mechanic and former auto racer, knew that great names had been made through innovation and international racing success. On a 1950s tool-buying trip to Europe, he bought two racing machines - a German NSU and an Italian Mondial - for study in Japan. He committed his company to four-stroke engines and declared that it would compete in the Isle of Man TT road
As the importance of sustainability increases and dominates the powertrain development within the automotive sector, this issue has to be addressed in motorsports as well. The development of sustainable high-performance fuels defined for the use in motorsports offers technical and environmental potential with the possibility to increase the sustainability of motorsports at the same or even a better performance level. At the moment race cars are predominantly powered by fossil fuels. However due to the emerging shift regarding the focus of the regulations towards high efficient powertrains during the last years the further development of the used fuels gained in importance. Moreover during the last decades a huge variety of sustainable fuels emerged that offer a range of different characteristics and that are produced based on waste materials or carbon dioxide. This study investigates the question of which sustainable fuels offer the characteristics suitable for high-performance race
Minimizing the lap time for a given race track is the main target in racecar development. In order to achieve the highest possible performance of the vehicle configuration the mutual interaction at the level of assemblies and components requires a balance between the advantages and disadvantages for each design decision. Especially the major shift in the focus of racecar powerunit development to high efficiency powertrains is driving a development of lean boosted and rightsized engines. In terms of dynamic engine behavior the time delay from requested to provided torque could influence the lap time performance. Therefore, solely maximizing the full load behavior objective is insufficient to achieve minimal lap time. By means of continuous predictive virtual methods throughout the whole development process, the influence on lap time by dynamic power lags, e.g. caused by the boost system, can be recognized efficiently even in the early concept phase. As a first step, this paper presents
In the continuous search for technology to improve the fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emission levels from the automotive vehicle, the automotive industry has been evaluating various technological options. Since the introduction of stringent legislative targets in Europe as well as in the United States of America in late 20th Century, one of the viable options identified by the industry was the application of alternative powertrain. On the motorsport arena, changes introduced by the Formula 1 governing body (FIA) for the high-performance racing engines also focuses on fuel economy. FIA regulation for 2014 restricts the fuel-flow rate to a maximum of 100kg/hr beyond 10,500 rev/min and prescribe fuel flow rate below 10,500 rev/min operating conditions for the F1 Engines. In addition, Formula1 and Le Mans racing regulations actively promote the integration of the hybrid powertrain in order to achieve optimum fuel economy. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to evaluate
Alongside with the severe restrictions according to technical regulations of the corresponding racing series (air and/or fuel mass flow), the optimization of the mixture formation in SI-race engines is one of the most demanding challenges with respect to engine performance. Bearing in mind its impact on the ignition behavior and the following combustion, the physical processes during mixture formation play a vital role not only in respect of the engine's efficiency, fuel consumption, and exhaust gas emissions but also on engine performance. Furthermore, abnormal combustion phenomena such as engine knock may be enhanced by insufficient mixture formation. This can presumably be explained by the strong influence of the spatial distribution of the air/fuel-ratio on the inflammability of the mixture as well as the local velocity of the turbulent flame front. With regard to the mixture formation processes and thus engine performance, both SI-engines with direct and port fuel injection show
The paper discusses the benefits of a four stroke engine having one intake and one exhaust rotary valve. The rotary valve has a speed of rotation half the crankshaft and defines an open passage that may permit up to extremely sharp opening or closing and very large gas exchange areas. The dual rotary valve design is applied to a racing engine naturally aspirated V-four engine of 1000cc displacement, gasoline fuelled with central direct injection and spark ignition. The engine is then modeled by using a 1D engine & gas dynamics simulation software package to assess the potentials of the solution. The improved design produces much larger power densities than the version of the engines with traditional poppet valves revving at higher speeds, with reduced frictional losses, and with larger gas exchange areas while also improving the fuel conversion efficiency thanks to the sharpness of opening or closing events. The novelty in the proposed dual rotary valve system is the combustion chamber
Formula SAE racing engines must provide high output with maximum fuel efficiency despite the air restriction imposed by the rules. Throttle response and engine load control are very important due to the track characteristics with a few straights zones and many curves. In-cylinder pressure cyclic variations harm vehicle control and increase fuel consumption, due to the torque fluctuations. In order to reduce fuel consumption and improve vehicle drivability, engine calibration having the in-cylinder as a feedback parameter is an essential procedure and will be the focus of this paper. Test bench data with combustion analysis will be performed, using the COVIMEP as a combustion stability index. Tests were carried out on a motorcycle engine modified to run under the Formula SAE competition rules. A piezoelectric sensor was installed inside the combustion chamber to provide instantaneous pressure readings, which were used to on-line calculate the IMEP and perform a 200 cycle COVIMEP
The paper reviews the experimental development of fuel economy of engine powering the 2012 Formula SAE single seat race car of the University of Sophia. The balance of high power and low fuel consumption is biggest challenge of racing engine. It was found that improving the efficiency of engine by supercharging as a way to achieve that. In order to adapt the supercharger for the engine, the important design points are below: It was found that intake air blow-by gas at combustion chamber is increased in low engine speed. To improve that, the valve overlap angle was changed to adopt supercharged engine and improve effective compression ratio. Typically the racing engine demands maximum torque for performance but that does not imply that the air fuel ratio should be rich than theoretical. The point is the maximum torque of the engine is proportional to the amount of air intake. Therefore, supercharged engine is possible to increase the supercharging pressure for bigger torque. But the
In the last years motorsport is facing a technical revolution concerning the engine technology in every category, from touring car championships up to the F1. The strategy of the car manufacturers to bring motorsport engine technology closer to mass production one (e.g. turbo-charging, downsizing and direct injection) allows both to reduce development costs and to create a better image and technology transfer by linking motorsport activities to the daily business. Under these requirements the so-called Global Race Engine (GRE) concept has been introduced, giving the possibility to use one unique engine platform concept as basis for different engine specifications and racing categories. In order to optimize the performance of this kind of engines, especially due to the highly complex mixture formation mechanisms related to the direct injection, it is nowadays mandatory to resort to reliable 3D-CFD simulations. In this paper the contribution of intensive CFD simulations within the engine
Computer software, which simulates the thermodynamic and gas dynamic of internal combustion engines, are used extensively during design and development process. This paper analyzes the 1D boundary multi-pipe junctions calculations using the Method of Characteristics (MOC). Sonic flows can be encountered in the exhaust manifolds of internal combustion engines (especially racing engines) and in the model a check if the flow is sonic or not have been made. Flows with more than one manifold have flow toward the junction, need an equivalent “Datum” manifold, with an airflow as the sum of all flows, an averaged area and stagnation enthalpy has been defined in order to calculate the pressure loss when crossing the junction. The pressure loss terms have been calculated as function of the flow-ratio of the gas flowing to the manifold to the total incoming flow and the pipe angle. Such terms take into account of the flow ratio referred to the “Datum” flow and the pipe angle term is the average
Internal combustion engine components have been a main research interest over many decades [1]. While bulk material and surface engineering developments have improved the resistance to fatigue, reduced the amount of wear and friction during operation, small improvements in race applications designs can increase the engine performance and give a competitive edge to racing engines. Piston rings are designed to create a seal which means that they will suffer large levels of material loss due to wear during operation. The compression ring is the top or closest ring to combustion gases and is exposed to the highest operating temperature. In this paper, the authors propose a design modification to the compression ring coated chamfer which can reduce stress concentration and material loss during operation
Ethanol has received both positive and negative attention as a renewable fuel for spark ignition engines. Studies of ethanol have shown improved volumetric efficiency, knock tolerance, and favorable burn curves[1]. Nevertheless, little research has been published exploring the impact of ethanol blends on race engine performance coupled with the impact on well-to-wheels (WTW) greenhouse gases, emissions, and petroleum reduction. In this work, a circle track race vehicle powered by a GM Performance Parts 6.2L OHV CT-525 engine was tested using 100 octane race fuel and E85 over a matrix of configurations. Carburetion vs. fuel injection configurations were benchmarked with both fuels, with the addition of 100- and 300-cells-per-inch catalytic convertors. Testing involved both dynamometer testing and on-track testing utilizing a portable emissions measurement system. These data were used to determine the WTW greenhouse gas reduction, petroleum displacement, and criteria emission reduction
Racing engines are required to be developed quickly in order to adapt to ever-changing regulations. A CFD-based optimization would be a useful tool to discover the best solution given the restrictions of the regulations. However, a CFD approach requires repeated trials and errors until the best solution is found because the numerical goal is unknown and the specifications required for the goal are never calculated back when using CFD. Therefore, this paper proposes an Empirically Integrated CFD Method. It is a combination of a one-dimensional CFD and several empirical equations that are derived from the racing engine database with physical meanings. These empirical equations give the CFD-based optimization a proper goal and primary specifications so as to make the optimization loop converge rapidly. This method is experimentally verified for its practical application with a prototype engine. Moreover, this prototype engine reveals the impact of the combustion chamber design on the
In Motorsports the understanding of the real engine performance within a complete circuit lap is a crucial topic. On the basis of the telemetry data the engineers are able to monitor this performance and try to adapt the engine to the vehicle's and race track's characteristics and driver's needs. However, quite often the telemetry is the sole analysis instrument for the Engine-Vehicle-Driver (EVD) system and it has no prediction capability. The engine optimization for best lap-time or best fuel economy is therefore a topic which is not trivial to solve, without the aid of suitable, reliable and predictive engineering tools. A complete EVD model was therefore built in a GT-SUITE™ environment for a Motorsport racing car (STCC-VW-Scirocco) equipped with a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) turbocharged S.I. engine and calibrated on the basis of telemetry and test bench data. The driver is simulated by means of a "position based" control in order to determine the braking points at each corner by
This protocol can be used for all forms of racing. Users can take the liberty to design a competition that uses all or specific parts of this document. As new information, fuels and technologies emerge, addendums or compete new protocols will be developed
MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, with the world's top riders racing 800cc prototype machines at leading venues around the world. The riders compete against each other to win the title and show their superiority. The manufacturers have improved the engines every year to gain high power with low-fuel consumption. The percentage of the duration in fully open throttle is less than 20% of the race, but the partial throttle is used as much as 80%. Moreover, when the rider accelerates the machine, the front tire is easy to be lifted from the ground. In the middle of corner, the rider cannot open the throttle fully because of the tire slip. Therefore, it is the most important factor to appropriately control a throttle in the partial area. The Drive-By-Wire (DBW) system is one of the solutions for the force control. The vehicle simulation in the engine dyno test helped efficiently to evaluate the DBW. As a result, a controllable engine was developed and the development costs were
Exhaust port timing control devices or power valves were introduced into a two-stroke engine in response to the customer's desire for more power. This was the most cost-effective way for manufacturers to increase power over the entire rpm range without significantly modifying their original engine designs, thus ensuring that the excellent power-to-weight ratio characteristics intrinsic to the two-stroke engine were maintained. Varieties of different systems exist to control and operate these exhaust port modifiers. Some of the more sophisticated electronic systems incorporate auto-cleaning cycles at start-up, which help eliminate power valve sticking due to carbon build-up. The more economically designed systems, however, do not. As a result, the valves are more susceptible to deposits, which can reduce their functionality and significantly impact engine performance. Very heavy deposit formation can ultimately stick the valves and make them inoperable. New power valve additive
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