Dyno Testing

[Bill Kunst]

I hope this hasn't been covered....

How many teams use a chassis dyno or engine dyno? Eddy current or inertia? What size radiator do you use during tuning? Do you have problems with cooling? Has anyone removed/altered there thermostat for dyno runs?

The reason that I ask... When we last tuned our car, we were working off a eddy current dyno, tuning transient throttle positions at a given RPM. We were seeing temperature spiking(180-230+) in 30s or so at 9000 rpm, not allowing us alot of time to tune in between cooling sessions. Also, this was the Dyno dudes first time with engines turning our RPM's, and size, and etc(enter all FSAE weirdness here).

My thoughts to help heat:
1. Bigger radiator for chassis dyno.
2. Swith to inertia tuning.
3. Remove thermostat inner, removing restriction(for dyno only)
4. Take recommendations from all of you based of your experiences (please, no guesses-want result based suggestions).

Anyone with help? I would like to be able to give my boys back at P-ville all the time saving recommendations before they spend 30s dynoing, ten minutes cooling.

[Bill Kunst]

I hope this hasn't been covered....

How many teams use a chassis dyno or engine dyno? Eddy current or inertia? What size radiator do you use during tuning? Do you have problems with cooling? Has anyone removed/altered there thermostat for dyno runs?

The reason that I ask... When we last tuned our car, we were working off a eddy current dyno, tuning transient throttle positions at a given RPM. We were seeing temperature spiking(180-230+) in 30s or so at 9000 rpm, not allowing us alot of time to tune in between cooling sessions. Also, this was the Dyno dudes first time with engines turning our RPM's, and size, and etc(enter all FSAE weirdness here).

My thoughts to help heat:
1. Bigger radiator for chassis dyno.
2. Swith to inertia tuning.
3. Remove thermostat inner, removing restriction(for dyno only)
4. Take recommendations from all of you based of your experiences (please, no guesses-want result based suggestions).

Anyone with help? I would like to be able to give my boys back at P-ville all the time saving recommendations before they spend 30s dynoing, ten minutes cooling.

[Dan Deussen @ Weber Motor]

Some of it has been covered here:

http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/125607348/m/6791...10762421#39610762421 (http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/125607348/m/67910689321/r/39610762421#39610762421)

[Captain Redbeard]

We have an eddy current engine dyno and we actually cool the engine through a heat exchanger hooked up to the glycol loop in the school. It works very well as we can fine tune the exchanger to hold the engine at a specific temperature. We have traditionally always taken out the thermostat on the dyno, but I'm tempted to put it back because it takes a good 10-15 minutes to get the engine warmed up without it.

-Redbeard

[Bill Kunst]

Those other threads are great info, if you are on an engine dyno. On a chassis dyno, things are a little diff. How long of lines can you hook up to the engine (isolating the radiator from the frame to do H2O-H2O) without having severe pumping losses. We are in an inclosed shop with no drains, and about twenty feet to the door. There is a sink nearby, maybe that could work as our drain for the secondary H2O?

Reddeard- Did you completely remove the t-stat, or just the pellet and spring portion?

[Bill Kunst]

Oh,
here is the dyno:
http://www.speedlab1.com

[Captain Redbeard]

Bill, I'm pretty sure we remove the whole thing, although it is basically just a spring and pellet. The only thing left is the housing.

-Redbeard