Converting a hub dyno to an engine dyno

[BFaz]

Hello all,

As a project for my degree I am creating an engine dyno stand that can bolt straight onto our existing hub dyno. It would seem that the easiest way to do this would be to use a decomissioned car with just the powertrain, drivetrain and electronics, however I plan to make a frame that can take ideally any motorbike sized engine without having to fabricate new engine mounts, or requiring very minimal manufacture.

The aim is to start new engines with the MoTeC system (stock intake/exhaust without the rest of the frame) and then obviously start tuning engines with the powertrain package designed for our FSAE car.

Has anyone done this before or have any comments/queries/doubtful points?

[BFaz]

Hello all,

As a project for my degree I am creating an engine dyno stand that can bolt straight onto our existing hub dyno. It would seem that the easiest way to do this would be to use a decomissioned car with just the powertrain, drivetrain and electronics, however I plan to make a frame that can take ideally any motorbike sized engine without having to fabricate new engine mounts, or requiring very minimal manufacture.

The aim is to start new engines with the MoTeC system (stock intake/exhaust without the rest of the frame) and then obviously start tuning engines with the powertrain package designed for our FSAE car.

Has anyone done this before or have any comments/queries/doubtful points?

[Steve O]

Im sure that the design you have come up with will work; however, one important thing to realize is that a rolling road or hub dyno doesn't have the resolution or precision of an engine dyno. If the point is just so you can get some form of reference without a car being present than this will work just fine, if your hoping to get the precision and accuracy of an engine dyno, you won't.

[BFaz]

The plan is as you say, as we only currently have access to a hub dyno. We have constantly found ourselves in the past with no ability to conduct any powertrain development due to vehicles being broken, undergoing maintenance or still being built. We typically have the new intake and exhaust each year well before the car is ready to run, and our access to the hub dyno is limited due to the lack of a frame. In addition we are looking at a new engine for next year and don't really want to wait for next years car to be complete before we even start it with our ecu/powertrain system.

Would it be safe to assume the lack of precision and accuracy is due to the drivetrain losses?