Precision in Formula 1 Testing

Not many of our flow meter customers know we have been active in the automotive test industry since the early 1990s. Like Sierra’s Flowmeter Division, our Automotive Test Division is passionate about precision measurement and control.

There is a lot of flow measurement needed in automotive testing, but Sierra’s capabilities in this area spread well beyond flow into high-speed data acquisition, automation control, facility design and turnkey project management. In 2013, the challenge for Honda technical partner Mugen Euro was daunting. To support Honda’s return to Formula 1 in 2015, they needed to build a test facility capable of precision tuning engines that exceed 15,000 rpm at 130 decibels—in a facility not initially built for testing. And all of this had to be done in under eight months!

Today, Mugen Euro’s test facility in Milton Keynes in the UK accommodates a wide variety of racing engines. Sierra’s Cadet V14 automation software manages the engine test as it simulates the race track of choice, and Combustion Air Handling Units (CAHU) on the facility’s roof feed race track-simulated temperature, pressure, humidity and air to the engine. Sierra’s FuelTrak measures transient fuel flow, all engine fluids are conditioned to precise levels, and a thermal mass flow intake air meter monitors intake air.

To see Sierra’s equipment and processes in action, watch the video above, which highlights the design, development, and construction of the high-performance engine test facility for World Touring Car, Le Mans and Formula 1.