Revolve Magazine Autumn 2020

Deep Dive: Lap TimeSimulation

Did you know that it’s possible to write a master’s thesis for Revolve NTNU? In this issue of the magazine, we’ll dive deeper into the magic behind lap time simulation, and Torbjørn Smith from Vehicle Dynamics will guide us.

Text by Torbjørn Smith Photos by Adrian Leirvik Larsen and Torbjørn Smith

With the competitiveness of Formula Student showing no signs of fading, teams are exploring every possible avenue in search of increased performance. For Revolve NTNU, one of these avenues is the world of lap time simulation. Lap time simulation is a wide area of research, with many approaches, use cases and solutions. For Revolve NTNU´s use, lap time simulation is the art of quantitatively correlating vehicle design to lap time. This is not a new concept, but it is new for Revolve NTNU as an area of research and development. With competing teams having built their own capabilities in lap time simulation for many years now, this year, Revolve NTNU decided to employ a dedicated team member to develop lap time simulation software for the organisation.