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The Formula SAE® rules require the use of a 20mm intake restrictor. The presence of the restrictor necessitates the design or retuning of fuel and spark strategies that, in turn require the use of a programmable engine control unit (ECU). This paper describes a process used to establish the fuel and spark strategies for a standard production motorcycle engine operating with a restricted air intake. Honda 600cc engines were controlled by three different ECUs: a Haltech, DTA and an “in-house” ECU. Simple calculations of injection duration are suggested to provide a baseline fuel map from which the engine could be started, and then fuel maps are tuned by experiment. Similar baseline numbers for ignition timing are given.

The on-going industry effort to improve occupant safety during a rollover event has created the need to re-examine how rollover testing is conducted. The demand for a repeatable technique of testing vehicles and their safety systems has forced the automotive industry to create new test methods. This paper will review a non-destructive, repeatable method to test vehicle rollover susceptibility subjected to a lateral deceleration pulse. This methodology provides for efficient development of the vehicle, the rollover-sensing algorithm, and the safety system performance.

The on-going industry effort to improve air bag systems for out-of-position occupants has created the need to reexamine the existing design criteria and development means to be used in the implementation of advanced air bag technologies. Development procedures and test techniques must be augmented to include appropriate testing of the out-of-position occupant. This paper will review the development of a unique dynamic test fixture and test methodology to simulate the pre-deployment movement of an occupant concantenated with a conventional crash pulse on a HYGE sled. This test methodology provides for efficient development of dynamic occupant tracking systems, biomechanic algorithms and restraint system controls.