Inertial dynamometer system and method for measuring and indicating gross horsepower
First Claim
1. Apparatus, for use in a vehicle having a prime mover, a mass and a direction of motion, for providing instantaneous indication of the gross horsepower output of the prime mover comprising:
- (a) means for generating a signal with a value continuously proportional to the instantaneous inertial acceleration of the vehicle, said means having a sensitive axis adjustable to be parallel to the direction of motion of said vehicle;
(b) means for generating a signal with a value continuously proportional to the instantaneous velocity of the vehicle and further comprising means for adjusting said generating means to account for the drive ratio of said vehicle;
(c) means for providing a signal with a value continuously proproportional to the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle and further comprising means for adjusting said means to calibrate said means to accurately represent the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle;
(d) means for providing a signal with a value continuously proportional to the friction drag of the vehicle and further comprising means to calibrate said means to accurately represent the frictional drag characteristics of the vehicle;
(e) means for providing a signal with a value continuously proportional to the viscous drag of the vehicle and further comprising means to calibrate said means to accurately reflect the viscous drag characteristics of the vehicle;
(f) means for providing a signal proportional to the mass of the vehicle multiplied by the acceleration of the vehicle;
(g) means for accepting said signals and providing a signal having a value proportional to said gross horsepower;
(h) means for accepting a signal having a value proportional to an operating parameter of said vehicle and providing a visual indication of the value of said signs.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Inertial Dynamometer System measures and indicates the gross horsepower being produced by a vehicle'"'"'s prime mover at any instant, accounting for aerodynamic, frictional and viscous drag in addition to gravitational and inertial acceleration factors. The system is adjustable and self calibrating to adapt it to the characteristics of the vehicle in which it is installed. The system allows indication of as many as 21 of the variables involved in measuring and indicating instantaneous gross horsepower. The method for determining gross horsepower is to sum the power used for accelerating the vehicle and the power used for overcoming aerodynamic viscous and frictional losses.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. Apparatus, for use in a vehicle having a prime mover, a mass and a direction of motion, for providing instantaneous indication of the gross horsepower output of the prime mover comprising:
-
(a) means for generating a signal with a value continuously proportional to the instantaneous inertial acceleration of the vehicle, said means having a sensitive axis adjustable to be parallel to the direction of motion of said vehicle; (b) means for generating a signal with a value continuously proportional to the instantaneous velocity of the vehicle and further comprising means for adjusting said generating means to account for the drive ratio of said vehicle; (c) means for providing a signal with a value continuously proproportional to the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle and further comprising means for adjusting said means to calibrate said means to accurately represent the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle; (d) means for providing a signal with a value continuously proportional to the friction drag of the vehicle and further comprising means to calibrate said means to accurately represent the frictional drag characteristics of the vehicle; (e) means for providing a signal with a value continuously proportional to the viscous drag of the vehicle and further comprising means to calibrate said means to accurately reflect the viscous drag characteristics of the vehicle; (f) means for providing a signal proportional to the mass of the vehicle multiplied by the acceleration of the vehicle; (g) means for accepting said signals and providing a signal having a value proportional to said gross horsepower; (h) means for accepting a signal having a value proportional to an operating parameter of said vehicle and providing a visual indication of the value of said signs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. In a vehicle having a prime mover and indicating means including means for accepting a signal and providing a visual indication of the value of said signal to provide a full-scale indication of said value of said signal and means for adjusting said means for accepting a signal and providing a visual indication of the value of said signal to provide a full-scale indication of said value of said signal, a method for providing a signal having a value proportional to the instantaneous gross horsepower produced by said prime mover and providing a visual indication of the value of the gross horsepower, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing electrical signals having values representative of certain characteristics of the vehicle, including its mass, (b) generating signals with values continuously proportional to; (1) the instantaneous inertial acceleration of the vehicle; (2) the instantaneous velocity of the vehicle; (3) the instantaneous aerodynamic drag of the vehicle; (4) the instantaneous friction drag of the vehicle and (5) the instantaneous viscous drag of the vehicle; (c) using the values of steps a and b in computing a signal representative of the gross horsepower being instantaneously produced by the prime mover, (d) applying the signal computed in step c to said indicating means whereby the indicating means indicates the value of the instantaneous gross horsepower produced by the prime mover. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. In a vehicle having a prime mover, a mass, a computer, an indicating means, a scale adjusting means, a switching means, mode select means and means for driving said switching means by said mode select means, a method for providing signals having values proportional to certain dynamic parameters of said vehicle and providing a display of the instantaneous value of any one of said signals comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing electrical signals having values representative of certain characteristics of the vehicle including its mass, (b) generating signals with values continuously proportional to various parameters comprising; (1) the instantaneous inertial acceleration of the vehicle, (2) the instantaneous velocity of the vehicle; (3) the instantaneous aerodynamic drag of the vehicle, (4) the instantaneous friction drag of the vehicle and (5) the instantaneous viscous drag of the vehicle; (c) operating said mode select means to select certain of the signals of steps a and b for input to said computer, (d) inputting said selected signals to said computer to provide a signal having a value proportional to; (1) instantaneous accelaration of the vehicle, (2) force driving the vehicle, (3) resistance to motion of the vehicle, (4) torque produced by the prime mover, (5) instantaneous velocity of the vehicle, (6) instantaneous gross horsepower of the prime mover, or (7) instantaneous net horsepower of the prime mover; (e) applying the signal of step d to said indicating means to provide an indication of the value of the parameter represented by the signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. Apparatus for use in a vehicle having a prime mover, for determining and displaying the instantaneous gross horsepower of said prime mover, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) means for providing a signal with a value directly proportional to the instantaneous acceleration of said vehicle, (b) means for providing a signal with a value directly proportional to the instantaneous velocity of said vehicle; (c) means for providing a signal with a value representing the mass multiplied by the acceleration of said vehicle; (d) means for providing a signal with a value directly proportional to the force propelling the vehicle; (e) means for providing a signal with a value directly proportional to the sum of forces tending to resist vehicle motion, (f) means for utilizing said signals from said means a,b,c,d and e in computing a signal with a value proportional to the instantaneous gross horsepower output of said prime mover; (g) means for utilizing said signal provided by said means f and providing a visual indication of said gross horsepower output.
-
Specification