Technology showcase

As the Covid pandemic continues to escalate, motorsport trade shows have had to be postponed.

- GEMMA HATTON

Yet, despite the global challenges of 2020, racing companies have continued to do what they do best; innovating new ways to maximise racecar performance. As the shows are not going ahead this year, we thought it apt to highlight some of the new products that would have been on display.

From composites and simulation to sensors and manufacturing, there are a whole host of new technologies out there. Here are some that caught Racecar’s eye.

AVL

Bearing friction rig

With regulations continuing to restrict the amount of fuel or battery capacity, the more energy you can effectively transfer from the ICE or battery to the wheels, the further and faster your racecar will go. This is why maximising the efficiency of the powertrain and all its individual components is an essential part of racecar design.

Aside from the gearbox, wheel bearings have the highest losses within the driveline, and so minimising these is essential. One way to optimise this is to utilise a friction rig, which essentially spins the bearing and replicates the loads it would experience within the racecar. AVL’s solution utilises two dynamic actuators that simultaneously apply wheel loads in two axes. There is also a temperature enclosure to simulate accurate operating conditions.

‘Wheel bearings are a spec part in most race series, but there are still ways in which you can optimise their performance,’ says Martin Monschein, global business segment manager at AVL. ‘For example, you can use friction rigs to investigate pre-loads, the amount and type of grease used, as well as to identify the optimal run-in procedures for your particular application.’