TESTING
testing. DIL simulation enables teams to validate as much of their system as possible on the simulator first. The early contact between driver and system gives engineers the opportunity to see how the driver and the car perform together. Modifications made on-the-fly mean teams can create their ideal set-up even before practice sessions take place on circuit, and be continuously monitored and changed throughout a race weekend.”
KEEPING THE DRIVER IN THE LOOP For fans, the most they see of motorsport testing is on circuit, either during the limited pre- and in-season test days or in practice sessions during a race weekend. If teams only had physical testing to rely on for vehicle setup for a full season, there would likely be a disjointed relationship between the drivers, the engineers and the cars. By providing a fully immersive
simulated environment, replicating everything from vehicle interior to kerb heights, g-forces in chicanes to drag on the straights, there is more time for drivers and engineers to work together to get the best out of the car. This time can and does improve the working relationship of the team, enabling everyone to understand and even develop a short-hand to make swift changes come race day. On top of the fully immersive
environments, the Ansible Motion Delta motion system is built on multiple independent layers. Cammaerts reveals, “Each layer controls specific axes of motion that are directly associated with real vehicle motion directions. One of our key strengths has always been in providing innovative motion systems which combine highly dynamic and high-fidelity simulation with low inertia and a much lower centre of gravity.” The benefits of this approach
are particularly evident when a simulation run involves a series of simultaneous directional changes. “In motorsport applications, one of the hardest manoeuvres to accurately simulate is a vehicle driving through a chicane,” explains Cammaerts, “With limited computational time to process
these rapid direction changes, any simulation of such an event must be correct to prevent driver mistrust of the technologies.”
PREPARATION CONSTRAINTS Wherever in the world the track is, most teams at some point have had to reschedule test days due to adverse weather conditions. It is one element that cannot be controlled in physical testing. However, with compatible software, such as rFpro, changes in weather conditions can be made instantaneously, ensuring that a wet weekend won’t spoil race results. Complex tyre models can be put through their paces in high heat, humidity, freezing rain, or a newly resurfaced race track. And aero setups can be adapted to give the advantages
not just in unpredictable weather, but also when drivers are stuck in traffic needing to get the pass done. Ford Performance, based in North
Carolina, USA, make use of its two Ansible Motion Delta DIL simulators for GT and NASCAR development, as well as sharing them with the road car development team to test vehicles such as the all-new electric Mustang, the Mach-E. “We thought one was enough. Then we thought two was enough. And now the product guys are in there all the time, too, so maybe we need a third,” reports Mark Rushbrook, director at Ford Performance. So, the next time you think about
how a race car is being developed, remember that it likely starts out in simulation space before laying rubber on the circuit. ●
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