Sensors can be one of the smallest elements in a race car. Though these sensors may not make the car faster they play a crucial role in the running and safety of a car. They prevent more accidents than one can even count and give back valuable data to help improve the car itself and its performance. This year we have a multitude of sensors on our car temperature and pressure sensors as well as gear position sensors and a speedometer.
One of the most important safety wise may be the simple temperature sensor. This is used to monitor engine heating, and once it surpasses the safety limit the sensor will alert the driver.
This sensor helps prevent the overheating of the engine which can lead to power loss of the engine, this is due to pre-ignition starting within the chambers of the engine. This due the combination of the high temperature and resulting increase in pressure exceeds the fuel’s octane rating. Not only is the temperature sensor for the engine important performance wise but it also is vital for the safety of the car. If the engine gets too hot as Conor Bowler, a first year member of Formula Trinity’s Electronics Department, so eloquently put it; “the engine will go boom”.
Pressure sensors are often given as good examples of a component used to monitor the tyres, and while we use pressure sensors for other reasons, the temperature sensor monitors the engine’s health to avoid harmful overheating and serious damage to the block.
Not only does the oil act as lubricant to prevent the wear of engine parts, it helps prevent extra heat due to friction, along with cleaning, sealing and corrosion protection are applications of engine oil. So, we must know that there is enough engine oil present for it to adequately do its job, once it’s past this level the pressure sensor alerts the driver through a warning light.
The brake pressure sensor similarly alerts the driver when the brake fluid is below a critical level and needs being replaced. The brake fluid facilitates the movement of the various brake components without it the brakes will not function properly and could result in a serious accident or harm to the driver.
There are some odd sensors, as Conor Bowler mentions; “We have a GPS (Gear position sensor), telling us what gear we are in, which we can display to the driver.” Imagine speeding down the track in your car thinking you’re in one gear but unknowingly being in another
Hardly ideal. As such, we have a GPS to help prevent unnecessary and easily avoidable accidents or mistakes.
Finally, we have the most well-known sensor, the speedometer. This sensor enables us to tell the driver the speed they are going by measuring how fast the drive shaft rotates and doing some quick multiplication to calculate the cars speed.
The sensors, the quiet messengers of the car, inform the driver and mechanics how the various constituent parts of the car. A small part of the car that can be easily overlooked but without them, our car would not be able to drive nearly as well, as long and most importantly as safe.
