Accurately measuring a racecar’s vital functions and fluids helps to minimise the risk of serious failure and keeps the vehicle operating to its highest performance level at all times.
Pressure sensors are key to this, taking measurements and relaying the recorded information through an electronic output and display. Using the sensors and keeping them in good working order makes the racecar more predictable to set up and more likely to produce consistently quick lap times.
Druck, a Baker Hughes business, stands at the forefront of pressure and temperature sensor technology. Since its formation in 1972, the Leicester-based firm has developed, manufactured and delivered its innovative sensor solutions internationally to customers in a wide range of sectors, including aerospace, transportation and meteorology.
Since 1990, it has also been deeply involved in high-level motorsport, where many different aspects of the racecar need monitoring with absolute precision. Druck’s motorsport pressure sensor and calibration portfolio has been used by front-running teams in major series and applied to a multitude of disciplines such as single seaters, sportscars, electric racing and off-road. The company’s three and a half decades of motorsport experience mean it can adapt quickly to the demands of different vehicle properties, as well as various pressurised fluids such as coolants, fuels and oils.
Sensor technology
Modern racecars are covered in sensors. Motorsport is therefore a suitable high-stakes environment where sensor technology can be applied and showcased.
The racecar powertrain is a neat starting point and contains several sensors for different functions. An important one concerns engine oil, which lubricates the moving parts of the power unit to prevent friction that could cause performance-reducing wear. The oil is pumped under pressure into the cavity between the crankshaft and the bearings to stop them from grinding against each other. Pressurised oil also helps to regulate the engine’s temperature, dissipating large amounts of heat. Sensors are therefore required to monitor both oil pressure and temperature.
Druck’s solutions are designed to function well in harsh environments such as high temperatures and high-vibration scenarios. For example, Druck’s PMP4400T serves as a combined pressure and temperature sensor, saving the weight and packaging of separate components. The 14.5mm diameter unit is made of stainless steel and can withstand temperatures up to 185degC.
The PMP4400T is also suited to monitoring the pressure and temperature of the fuel system, pneumatics, coolant and crankcase. Fuel pressure, for example, needs to be kept in a sustained ‘Goldilocks’ zone – not too low and not too high – to ensure the engine combustion chamber is not starved or overfed. Either causes a reduction in overall engine performance, so the sensor plays a vital role in making sure the system works to its full potential.
Turbocharged engines require a sensor to control boost level to optimise performance, and to adjust engine parameters depending on how much boost pressure is in the manifold. If the sensor records a pressure spike or drop, it will display a warning to the user, alerting to the prospect of an issue before damage is inflicted.
Keeping the car running well is one thing, but stopping it is equally important. Sensors can also be used to measure brake pressure; the right amount ensures adequate braking force to slow the car down without locking the wheels. Here, the PMP4400T can also be applied.
Data retrieved from the sensor gives clues as to how the brake balance is changing the car’s characteristics and constantly monitors brake temperature.
While the PMP4400T is a two-in-one solution, Druck gives its customers the option of measuring pressure without temperature. This can be achieved with the PMP4200, the configurable PMP4300 or the most advanced pressure-only sensor in Druck’s range, the PMP4400.
Electric application
The casing in which batteries for electric racecars are housed requires monitoring to ensure the integrity of the pack. To protect the batteries, a modular pressure controller, such as those in the Druck PACE range, can pressurise the casing to 3bar and inform the user if any leaks occur.
The internal pressure of the case can also be monitored using the Druck ADROIT6000 sensor. The PACE5000 controller has a single channel pressure controller chassis and a navigable, colour, touchscreen display.
The follow-up PACE6000 model features a dual channel pressure controller chassis, and can be used in single, auto ranging or simultaneous dual pressure control modes if fitted with two PACE CM control modules.
Tyre pressure windows are a common feature in championships worldwide, with suppliers providing their own recommendations for safe maximum and minimum pressures at each track. To stay within these margins, a team might use a handheld sensor, such as the Druck DPI705E with its 0.025 per cent FS (full scale) accuracy, to check tyre pressures before sending the car out.
Sensors are clearly indispensable tools, but only when they are displaying accurate information. Testing and calibration equipment helps to ensure sensors maintain their accuracy and don’t lead engineers down an incorrect set-up rabbit hole, or incur penalties for operating outside a stipulated pressure range.
In addition to its sensors, Druck manufactures a range of portable, hand-held calibration devices. Its products include the DPI610E, a pressure sensor calibrator with accuracy and stability up to 1000bar, and DPI620 GENii, which is an all-in-one calibration solution especially suited to engine monitoring due to its 0.0185 per cent of FS accuracy. This device can be used in tandem with the PV643 pressure generating base station.
Software package
Druck’s sensor and calibration hardware is complemented by a software package called 4Sight2. This bespoke tool displays all the required information from the sensors and enables engineers to calibrate their equipment for lasting accuracy. Users can create a comprehensive asset and test equipment database, carry out uncertainty calculations and generate drift graphs for interval analysis.
A sensor is an indispensable feature of modern racecars that has a direct impact on set-up and performance. Whether it’s sensors or the calibration tools that keep them ticking over, Druck is making sure all angles are covered.
