AUTOMOTIVE & MOTORSPORT FEATURE
Strobel, system test engineer at Kistler, flew directly to the customer in Spain so that he could support the team on the ground: “Service is a top priority at Kistler. That means we don’t just sell our sensors and systems – we go on to make sure that they are optimally installed, connected and configured.”
IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR ENGINE TESTING As soon as the KiBox was successfully commissioned, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team was able to tackle the test phase. “We wanted to make the conditions for our test as realistic as possible, so we chose a section of road that is part of the Rally Catalunya. That gave us ideal conditions for testing our engine's maximum performance,” Gerhardt explains. The Spanish police closed off the section for the entire test.
MAXIMUM ENGINE PERFORMANCE – THANKS TO KIBOX A rally driver completed a total of four test cycles with the Toyota Yaris WRC. During the drives, the KiBox recorded time- and angle-based cylinder pressures in detail, together with other relevant key data for engine development. In parallel, all data
was calculated in real time and transmitted directly to the engine control unit. This information delivered valuable insights into combustion quality in terms of performance, efficiency and emis-sions. The simple, easy-to-understand KiBox Cockpit software was then used to evaluate the captured data with the help of clear visualisations. The result: thanks to the data evaluation graphs, Strobel and Gerhardt were able to detect severe knocking in the engine. “Kistler’s integrated pressure sensors and the KiBox enabled us to identify dangerous pressure peaks at the operating points. Had they gone unnoticed, they would have caused engine damage in the long term – resulting in high costs and loss of critical points in the competition,” Gerhardt points out.
INTO POLE POSITION – WITH KISTLER After the tests, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Team optimised the ignition timing, so they were able to boost their engine’s performance substantially – a strategy that has so far paid dividends in the World Rally Championship. “Kistler’s KiBox gives us a com-pact system that’s quickly ready to operate, and it means we’re much better able to analyse our engines. The device is very
The Toyota Yaris WRC was prepared for the test phase before the World Rally Championship season began. The compact KiBox indication system was also installed in the vehicle and commissioned. (Source: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing)
flexible to use, and it gives us added efficiency in tests. So now there’s nothing to prevent us from continuing to ride our wave of success,” Gerhardt sums up. Excellent collaboration and critical expertise as regards engine combustion: the Toyota team knows that it can count on these benefits from Kistler’s measurement technology as it heads into the next rally season.
Kistler
www.kistler.com
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