Mustang Advanced Engineering (MAE), an American manufacturer of quality, industry-leading testing equipment, dynamometers, and related products, has installed a custom dynamometer for the research and development of heavy-duty trucks, including electric powered trucks, at the Texas A&M Transportation Institutes (TTI) Environmental Evaluation and Research Facility (EERF) in Bryan, Texas.
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The large dynamometer was installed below ground and 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 and 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 regards that there was an existing dynamometer at the University that Mustang was able to re-use 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,” Caldwell continued. “Our rugged design philosophy along with state-of-the-art control technology provides our customers unparalleled performance in these challenging applications.”
Some features and benefits of this system include:
- Cost effective, as the project re-used components of a previously installed dynamometer at TTI, including the AC motor
- This test system is used for research and development of solutions to complex transportation challenges
- Dynamometer rolls section is contained within a climate-controlled chamber
- Capable of handling 80,000-pound Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) trucks, as per state maximum limits
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