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- MTU Uses Wheel Force Transducer for Baja Development
  April 10, 2019Blog / Products / Wheel Force TransducersMichigan Scientific (MSC) is proud to sponsor many teams and organizations, from local high schools to large universities. MSC recently helped the Michigan Technological University (MTU) Blizzard Baja Enterprise team with acquiring wheel force and moment data using Wheel Force Transducers (WFT). The Baja SAE team is a student-lead organization of about thirty students who work throughout the year to design, build, and test a single-seat off-road vehicle to compete in national competitions. The students use their engineering and manufacturing skills to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle for competition. This week, the MTU team heads down to Cookeville, Tennessee to join 100 other university teams from around the world for a highly competitive event. Competition Overview When students are not working on their regular course work, Baja SAE team members spend hours every week working on the vehicle performance. A redesigned vehicle is used each year for entrance into the national Baja SAE events. During these events, the vehicle first has to pass a technical inspection in which there is a very extensive and strict set of rules that the team must follow. The vehicle then moves onto a dynamic survival test, where each dynamic event is designed to put the maximum forces on the vehicle drivetrain, frame, and suspension. These dynamic events include testing the acceleration, maneuverability, sled pull, suspension test course, and an endurance race, which is a multi-hour race with all teams out on the track. Using Wheel Force Transducers for Vehicle Development In order to gain an advantage with their vehicle design, the team used Michigan Scientific Wheel Force Transducers to gather data that reflects the situations that the car experiences during the dynamic events. The WFT gave the team an advantage because they were able to design components of the vehicle to be as light as possible while still being able to survive worst-case situations. MTU Blizzard Baja Team representative, David Kloiber gave some insight as to how crucial this data was for the team, “Many other teams are forced to guess their loading values, while we were able to perform FEA with test values that we know are right.” This data proved vital as the team focused on reducing the weight of the rim and hub design. The students working on designing new carbon fiber rims used the Wheel Force Transducer data in advanced composites FEA to determine the optimal number of layers and geometry that reduces weight while also surviving the race. The team was able to shed 1.5 pounds on each rim! The hub re-design used the actual loads recorded by the WFT, again allowing the team to optimize the geometries, increasing strength and decreasing weight of each hub. Gaining a Competitive Advantage “Having the support of MSC has given us a huge competitive advantage,” Kloiber explains. While the team mainly focused on the rim and hub design this year, the data that the team gathered has the potential to influence every single component of the car. Kloiber hopes that the team will be able to gather more data from before and after change implementations to quantify the success of projects, giving the team confirmation that the car is improving. ...
- Guest Blogger | Improving Vehicle Efficiency with Volumetrics
  April 3, 2019Blog / Products / TransducersToday we have guest blogger, Engineer Laura Larsen, reviewing uses and specifications for Michigan Scientific’s Volumetrics Instrumentation.Determining Performance and Fuel Efficiency Michigan Scientific Corporation (MSC) has been making Volumetrics Instruments for over 20 years and is one of the leaders in the industry, selling these units to companies all over the globe. These instruments are used to accurately measure cylinder volume using acoustic technology. The user-friendly system requires the operator to simply remove the spark plug, mount an adapter, and insert a probe in the cylinder. This tool replaces traditional methods that historically provide readings that are time consuming and influenced by human error. In addition to volume, the Volumetrics Instruments are also used to determine the compression ratio of a chamber, using the volumes at top dead center and bottom dead center. With growing concern about fuel economy, compression ratio is a key variable in determining the performance and fuel efficiency of an engine. CompRatio-D4(E) Specifications and Uses MSC has recently launched the CompRatio-D4(E) system. The new model replaces the previous pneumatic system with an acoustic, non-pneumatic version for measurements on volumes from 15 to 1200 cubic centimeters.The D4(E) boasts a temperature range of 0-40 degrees Celsius and a humidity range of 0-95%, allowing the user to take measurements on both hot and cold engines. The innovative digital technology allows for a shorter probe and measurements can now be conveniently taken in tight spaces. Michigan Scientific Corporation’s D4(E) is a standalone system that makes quick measurement of the volume of the combustion chamber possible without disassembly of the engine and requires only an AC voltage power source. As such, the D4(E) system is well suited for laboratory development, manufacturing quality verification, and competitive bench-marking. The D4(E) system can be used for other field measurements as well such as verifying compression ratio and monitoring changes over time. The new digital display provides the user with readings in seconds. Highly calibrated reference volumes are provided with the system so the user can quickly verify the health probe before taking critical measurements. If you are interested in this product, please reach out to a Michigan Scientific engineer today to discuss your application. The plug adapters and reference volumes are made to order. You will need to specify the adapter thread, reach, and seat of the intended spark plug as well as the desired bore, volume, and material type of the reference volume. The reference volumes are available in stainless steel and titanium....

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Split Collar Telemetry & Induction System

3 Axis Load Cells

Wheel Force Transducers

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