Mustang Advanced Engineering (MAE), an American manufacturer of quality testing equipment, dynamometers and related products, has installed a custom dynamometer for research and development of heavy-duty trucks, including those powered by electricity, at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Headquarters in Bryan, Texas.
TEES supports Texas A&M University by conducting engineering and technology-oriented research and educational collaborations. The new test cell will be used in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation.
The large dynamometer was installed below ground and is contained in two rooms. The rolls section is in a climate-controlled room to simulate Interstate driving in different road conditions and temperatures. The inertia wheel, load-simulating power absorption unit (PAU) and AC electric motor are in a separate room where the temperature created by the load will not affect the test.
“This project was unique in that there was an existing dynamometer at the university from which Mustang was able to reuse some existing parts and elements, which was a cost-reducing factor in the project,” said Michael Caldwell, senior account manager at Mustang. “MAE is more than capable of producing test stands at any scale. Our rugged design philosophy, along with state-of-the-art control technology, provides our customers with unparalleled performance in these challenging applications.”
The system can handle 80,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) trucks, as per state maximum limits.
In related news, Applus Idiada recently announced an investment in an Integrated Vehicle Dynamics & Ride Comfort Simulation Platform that will upgrade its existing VI-grade DiM250 driving simulator at its Santa Oliva facility in Spain, extending its capabilities into high-frequency vibration comfort and NVH development. Click here to read the full story.