Student motor racing!

Mantracourt enables wireless torque measurement in student motor racing

Picture taken by Remi Saint-Onge, member of club ReflETS

Mantracourt has announced that its T24 wireless instrumentation range is being used in the development of racing cars for Formula SAE, an international engineering competition where student teams compete against each other, with single-seater race cars they have designed and built themselves.

As a part of a sponsorship package for the Ecole de Technologie Superieure engineering team from the University of Quebec (CDN), the company has been providing wireless strain gauge technology and technical support to enable drive shaft torque measurements during testing.

"We are very pleased to have the chance to work with the engineering students on such an exciting and worthwhile project," said Kelly Voysey, Marketing Manager at Mantracourt. "The accurate measurement of torque in rotating systems is often challenging, however it does provide one of the best examples of how wireless technology is expanding the boundaries of measurement and instrumentation. It is encouraging to see students embracing the very latest in measurement technology."

The Formula SAE Competition is organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Over 90 competing university teams from all over the globe, design, build and test prototype Formula-style racing cars and compete in categories such as design, endurance, fuel economy, acceleration, cost & manufacturing analysis. Mantracourt initially sponsored the 2009 Ecole de Technologie Superieure team who used a Mantracourt ICA load cell amplifier in their vehicle suspension tests. The ETS Formula SAE Team from the University of Quebec is renowned for its lightweight and ergonomic car design, its excellent suspension design and its scientific approach to vehicle validation and development.

For their 2011 prototype, the Canadian SAE team designed a new differential assembly. The behaviour of the new assembly needed to be monitored, as there were a few concerns. Strain gauges were installed on each drive shaft. These were connected to a strain gauge to radio telemetry T24-SA transmitter. A machined short cylinder, acting like a holder for the transmitter and the battery, was mounted on the drive shaft. Mantracourt T24-AO1 wireless receivers were installed on a bracket near the transmitter for better signal transmission and were connected to the car’s data acquisition system (Motec ACL).

"Our T24 range of wireless instrumentation technology is being used for similar projects in industry," said Kelly Voysey. "It's ideal for rotating systems or locations where space or access is limited. This project also demonstrates how our technology is finding its away around the world."