Test bench and dyno supplier Sakor has announced that it recently provided a performance test stand for validating designs for new hydraulic variable timing cam phaser systems to a major international provider of powertrain components.
The company said the cam phaser test stand will be used for research and development on engine timing designs that improve engine fuel efficiency. Simulating an engine using an electric dynamometer is cleaner and safer than using an actual internal combustion engine and reduces the costs and time needed for cam phaser design testing.
Sakor explained it custom built the system for use with cam phasers driven by oil pressure. The test system simulates different engine designs, generating representative cam torque pulses using two high-speed low inertia AccuDyne AC Dynamometers coupled with a DynoLab data acquisition and control system. In operation, one dynamometer drives the timing chain as if it were the engine, while the other simulates cam shaft torque pulses.
Parts for testing are mounted in a thermal chamber that can be run at temperatures ranging from -40°C to 150°C. This enables engineers to simulate temperatures encountered by those starting engines in all climates. The system controls oil pressure to advance or retard timing of the cam shaft relative to the engine.
The system features a 60kW dynamometer that can operate at up to 8,500rpm to simulate the engine. A 235kW ultra-low inertia dynamometer is used to simulate the high-frequency torque pulses found on a cam shaft.