TYRE TESTING AT BRUNTINGTHORPE
NEWSLETTER DECember 2015
TBR VISIT BP & FORD
Newsletter BRUNTINGTHORPE TYRE TEST
This included modifying the track layout to mimic Formula Student events more closely, before commencing a full endurance simulation on both sets of tyres under consideration.
We recently carried out extensive testing at Bruntingthorpe’s karting track in order to evaluate two different sets of tyres available to us. Bruntingthorpe was chosen over our usual test track because of its smoother track surface which better represents the circuits used at competition.
Overall the test ran very successfully, after a few early issues the team managed to gain a second over a much shorter lap than those raced on at competition! The test also once again proved the reliability of the turbocharged KTM engine package.
Using the highly successful TBR15 car, we were able to quickly set-up and get stuck into the test program.
BP PANGBOURNE VISIT At the start of November, Team Bath Racing visited BP at the Pangbourne Technology Centre to showcase TBR15, celebrate the achievements the team had over the summer and to give us an opportunity to have a closer look at BP’s technologies. The BP Pangbourne site is primarily a technical centre made up of engineers and chemists developing fuels and lubricants for the future.
The lessons learned from this test will be taken forward through the rest of the testing season to help us improve the performance and reliability of the TBR16 car, pushing us closer towards our goal of winning the Formula Student UK competition next year.
Written by Mark Tranter Whilst at the site we were given the chance to present the detail and technical design of TBR15 to an interested audience - including TBR alumni. Members of our leadership team delivered the presentation covering the BP-TBR relationship, TBR15’s technical design, its successes and finally introducing some of the planned innovations and designs for TBR16. The presentation was well received and prompted some probing and interesting questions giving us feedback and further ideas for our car design. The visit concluded with a tour of the site following the stages of the lubricant development process from test tube tests through to engine and chassis tests, giving the
teambathracing.com
@teambathracing
/teambathracing
/teambathr
team an opportunity to discuss current technologies within the industry. We would like to thank BP for welcoming us to the site and their continued support to the team.
Written by Josh Slade
December 2015 FORD TECHNICAL CENTRE VISIT The end of October 2015 saw TBR15 take a trip to Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in Essex. After an early start the team’s first task of the day was to deliver a presentation to interested employees and local school students. The presentation focused on the technical aspects of TBR15 and dove deeply into the new KTM500 engine mapping. The rest of the morning was filled with individual discus-
sions around the car, answering any questions that were left over after the presentation. The afternoon gave the team the chance to find out more about Ford’s Technical Centre with a tour of the facility. This began with a quick spin in a top of the range Ford Focus RS500 to kick things off. The team then toured the environmental testing facilities, experiencing -20degC temperatures along the way. It was enlightening to see the lengths Ford goes to in order to ensure optimum performance in all conditions. The tour culminated with a visit to the HyGe crash laboroatory, where the occupant restraint systems are developed. The Ford test team were interested to hear the analysis and testing that TBR perform in order to
ADVANCED ENGINEERING SHOW On Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th of November Team Bath Racing exhibited again at the Advanced Engineering Show at the NEC. The event was an opportunity to catch up with some of our long standing sponsors, talk with some of our fellow competitors and to find out about new engineering technologies.
meet the Formula Student crash rules, including FEA and live crash testing.
We set up a stand just outside the exhibition with some of our Formula Student competitors in order to catch everyone who was attending. We took along the TBR14 car as well as some components from the TBR15 car.
The event proved really successful giving us a chance to publicise to the industry, with some good contacts made. The opportunity for the team to check out the other
Thanks go to Ford and all involved in organising a very interesting day and for the generous sponsorship and assistance provided to the team.
Written by Alex Wilding
exhibits was very exciting, and led to many new ideas being discussed back at base.
The public seemed naturally drawn to our car in the Formula Student line up with it gaining plenty of attention throughout the day as well as attracting a few familiar faces now working in industry.
Written by Charlie Ripman
Newsletter NEW DYNAMOMETER New to the powertrain team this year is a transient eddy current engine dynamometer courtesy of BP Pangbourne. Fully calibrated and serviced it will provide the team
December 2015 with more accurate and precise engine torque readings. As a result, the team will be able to create operating maps for transient operation in addition to the steady state maps that we already create. Typically transient mapping is limited to
when the car is built and is conducted in a short period prior to competition in the summer. Having the new dynamometer is a fantastic opportunity as it allows us to bring forward the start of the powertrain development and lengthen its development period. It shall also allow for preliminary powertrain shakedown which is something that normally happens in the first few full car tests thus allowing us to be smarter with our tests and more efficient. The test bed is currently being installed with a new cooling system all thanks to the generous support of BP. With plans of using a crankshaft encoder and in cylinder pressure transducers it should be an exciting year.
Written by Matt Alcock
teambathracing.com
@teambathracing
/teambathracing
/teambathr