Analysis Techniques for Racecar Data Acquisition

Contents
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Introduction
	1.1 What Is This Book All About?
	1.2 What Is Data Acquisition?
		1.2.1 Data Acquisition Categories
		1.2.2 Data Categories
		1.2.3 Basic Data Acquisition Signals
		1.2.4 Supplemental Data Acquisition Signals
		1.2.5 Example of Parameters
	1.3 Hardware
	1.4 Recent Hardware Trends
Chapter 2 Data Analysis Software  Requirements
	2.1 General Requirements for Data Acquisition Software
		2.1.1 Software Features
	2.2 Different Ways of Displaying Data
		2.2.1 Time and Distance Plots
		2.2.2 Track Maps
		2.2.3 X-Y Graphs
		2.2.4 Histograms
		2.2.5 Run Charts
	2.3 Keeping Notes with Data Files
	2.4 Mathematical Channels
	2.5 Data Overlays
	2.6 Filtering
	2.7 Exporting Data to Other Software Packages
	2.8 Getting Organized
		2.8.1 Channel Grouping
		2.8.2 Channel Colors
		2.8.3 Sensor Prep
		2.8.4 Example Checklist
		2.8.5 Pit Box Setup
		2.8.6 Basic Tips
Chapter 3 The Basics
	3.1 Check the Car’s Vital Signs
	3.2 Lap Markers and Segment Times
	3.3 Comparing Laps
	3.4 Track Mapping
	3.5 The Beginner’s Data Logging Kit
		3.5.1 Logging Engine RPM
		3.5.2 Logging Vehicle Speed
		3.5.3 Logging Throttle Position
		3.5.4 Logging Steering Angle
		3.5.5 Logging Lateral Acceleration
		3.5.6 Logging Longitudinal Acceleration
		3.5.7 Logging Suspension Travel
	3.6 A Possible Approach to the Testing of Sensor Readings
Chapter 4 Straight-Line Acceleration
	4.1 Torque and Horsepower
		4.1.1 Aerodynamic Drag
		4.1.2 Calculating Torque and Power at the Wheels
	4.2 Traction and Longitudinal Slip
	4.3 TCS and Slip Ratios
	4.4 Time versus Distance
	4.5 The Importance of Corner Exiting Speed
	4.6 Drag Racing Specifics
		4.6.1 ET Bracket Racing
Chapter 5 Braking
	5.1 Braking Quickness
	5.2 Braking Effort
	5.3 Braking Points
	5.4 Lock-up
	5.5 Brake Balance
	5.6 Pedal Travel
	5.7 ABS
	5.8 Brake Temperature Measurement
Chapter 6 Gearing
	6.1 Up-shifting
		6.1.1 Shifting Point
		6.1.2 Shift Duration
	6.2 Down-shifting
	6.3 The Gear Chart
	6.4 Total Gear Ratio Channel
	6.5 Determining Correct Gear Ratios
	6.6 Determining in Which Gear to Take a Corner
Chapter 7 Cornering
	7.1 The Cornering Sequence
	7.2 The Traction Circle
	7.3 Effects of Speed
	7.4 Driver Activities That Indicate Vehicle Balance
		7.4.1 Oversteer
		7.4.2 Understeer
	7.5 The Understeer Angle
	7.6 Vehicle Balance with a Yaw Rate Sensor
	7.7 Front and Rear Lateral Acceleration
Chapter 8 Understanding Tire  Performance
	8.1 Estimating Grip Levels
	8.2 Working with Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
	8.3 Working with Infrared Tire Temperature Sensors
	8.4 Where Does Tire Temperature Come From?
	8.5 Working Temperature Range of the Tires
	8.6 Lateral Load Transfer and Tire Temperature
	8.7 Tire Workload Distribution
	8.8 Camber Evaluation with Tire Temperature Sensors
	8.9 Tire Pressure Evaluation with Tire Temperature Sensors
Chapter 9 Quantifying Roll Stiffness Distribution
	9.1 Measuring Suspension Roll Angle
	9.2 The Roll Gradient
	9.3 Using Roll Gradients as a Setup Tool
	9.4 Front to Rear Roll Angle Ratio
	9.5 Using the Roll Ratio as a Setup Tool
	9.6 Suspension Troubleshooting
	9.7 Pitch Gradient
Chapter 10 Wheel Loads and Weight Transfer
	10.1 Lateral Weight Transfer
	10.2 Longitudinal Weight Transfer
	10.3 Banking and Grade Effects
	10.4 Total Wheel Loads
	10.5 Determining Wheel Loads with Modal Analysis
	10.6 Measuring Wheel Loads with Suspension Load Cells
	10.7 Tire Spring Rates
	10.8 Chassis Torsion
Chapter 11 Shock Absorbers
	11.1 Shock Absorber Velocity Analysis
	11.2 Determining in Which Range to Tune the Shock Absorbers
	11.3 Shock Speed Ranges
	11.4 The Shock Speed Histogram
		11.4.1 Shock Speed Histogram Shape—A Mathematical Approach
		11.4.2 Shock Speed Histogram Shape—What Do We Want?
		11.4.3 Statistical Analysis
			11.4.3.1 Histogram Peak or Height of the Zero Bin
			11.4.3.2 Average Shock Speed
			11.4.3.3 Median
			11.4.3.4 Variance and Standard Deviation
			11.4.3.5 Skewness
			11.4.3.6 Kurtosis
	11.5 The Shock Speed Box Plot
	11.6 Shock Speed Run Charts
Chapter 12 Suspension Analysis in the Frequency Domain
	12.1 Introducing Frequency Analysis
	12.2 Frequency Analysis versus Time-Space Analysis
	12.3 Theoretical Analysis
	12.4 Suspension Optimization Using Frequency Analysis
	12.5 Modal Analysis
	12.6 Modal Frequency Issues
	12.7 Nonlinear Considerations
	12.8 Frequency Analysis from Sensor Data
Chapter 13 Aerodynamics
	13.1 Aerodynamic Measurements
	13.2 Air Density
	13.3 Dynamic Pressure
	13.4 Ride Height Measurement
		13.4.1 Ride Height Calculation from Suspension Movement
		13.4.2 Ride Height Measurement with Laser Sensors
	13.5 Estimating Drag and Downforce from Logged Data
	13.6 The Coast-down Test
	13.7 The Constant Velocity Test
	13.8 A Worked out Example of a Straight-Line Test
	13.9 Airbox Efficiency
Chapter 14 Analyzing the Driver
	14.1 Improving Driver Performance
	14.2 Driving Style Evaluation
	14.3 Throttle Application
		14.3.1 The Throttle Histogram
		14.3.2 Full Throttle Time
		14.3.3 Throttle Acceptance
		14.3.4 Throttle Speed
		14.3.5 Coasting
	14.4 Braking
		14.4.1 Braking Effort
		14.4.2 Braking Point and Length
		14.4.3 Braking Speed
		14.4.4 Braking Aggressiveness
		14.4.5 Brake Release Smoothness
	14.5 Shifting Gears
	14.6 Steering
	14.7 The Driving Line
		14.7.1 The Driving Line—Mathematical Definition
		14.7.2 How to Determine the Correct Driving Line
		14.7.3 Driving Line Analysis Using GPS
		14.7.4 Driving Line Analysis Using Video Feed
	14.8 Driver Consistency over Multiple Laps
Chapter 15 Simulation Tools
	15.1 Introduction
	15.2 Suspension Kinematics Simulation
	15.3 Lap Time Simulation
		15.3.1 Levels of Lap Time Simulation
		15.3.2 A Simple Point Mass Vehicle Model
		15.3.3 Obtaining the Input Parameters for the Vehicle Model
		15.3.4 The Tire Model
			15.3.4.1 The Pacejka Longitudinal Tire Force Model
			15.3.4.2 The Pacejka Lateral Tire Force Model
		15.3.5 The Track Model
	15.4 A Worked out Example
	15.5 How to Integrate Lap Time Simulation in Daily Data Acquisition Tasks
		15.5.1 Before the Meeting
		15.5.2 During the Meeting
		15.5.3 After the Meeting
	15.6 Putting the Driver in the Simulation
		15.6.1 Sim Racing
		15.6.2 Motion-Based Driver-in-the-Loop Simulation
Chapter 16 Using the Data Acquisition System for Race Strategy
	16.1 Fuel Consumption
	16.2 Lap Time Variation During a Race
		16.2.1 Fuel Load Variation
		16.2.2 Tire Wear
		16.2.3 Driver Consistency
Chapter 17 Data Analysis Using Metrics
	17.1 What Are Metrics?
	17.2 Why Use Metrics?
	17.3 How to Create Metrics
Chapter 18 Track Data
	18.1 What Can Be Learned from the Data about the Racetrack?
	18.2 Racetrack Metrics
	18.3 Speed and Gear Histograms
	18.4 The Friction Circle
	18.5 How Bumpy Is the Track Surface?
Chapter 19 Introduction to Measurement
	19.1 Introduction
	19.2 Analog-Digital Conversion: Accuracy Implications
	19.3 Sensor Selection and Application
	19.4 Measurement Uncertainty
	19.5 Temperature Sensors
		19.5.1 Thermocouple Temperature Sensors
		19.5.2 Thermistors
		19.5.3 Resistive Temperature Detectors
		19.5.4 Infrared Temperature Measurement
	19.6 Pressure Sensors
	19.7 Displacement Sensors
	19.8 Acceleration Sensors
		19.8.1 Capacitive Accelerometers
		19.8.2 Piezoelectric Accelerometers
	19.9 Speed Sensors
	19.10 Strain Gages
	19.11 Torque Sensors
	19.12 The Pitot Tube
	19.13 Oxygen Sensors
	19.14 GPS
	19.15 Laser Distance Sensors
	19.16 Surface Acoustic Wave Technology
List of Symbols
References
Bibliography
Index
About the Author