5/2/2016

The dominant idea in the design of the FR-15T was to obtain a compact, lightweight, but at the same time performing car. As far as the engine was concerned, the best possible compromise was a single-cylinder motorcycle-derived engine, and in order to increase performance, it was decided to use turbocharging. The engine was therefore fine-tuned on the test benches of the L.In.E.A. Laboratory of the University of Florence.

LAYOUT

At the start of development, the engine was decompressed to allow it to be turbocharged without detonation problems. It was therefore decided to couple it to a Honeywell Garrett MGT1238z turbocharger, whose waste-gate was set at a pressure of 0.5 bar by means of a pressure actuator. An intercooler sized to achieve the best compromise between performance and space in the car was added. Throughout the development phase, the engine was instrumented to monitor the pressure in the combustion chamber, the pressures and temperatures in the intake and exhaust lines, and those of the cooling circuit and the turbocharger lubrication line. The engine was equipped with an open Mectronik control unit and fully calibrated on the test bench with regard to petrol quantity and ignition advance.The turbocharger was equipped with a hall effect sensor capable of measuring the instantaneous speed of the impeller.

PERFORMANCE

The use of a supercharger system made it possible to achieve the same performance as the standard engine (installed on the Beta 498RR enduro bike), which in our case would have been considerably reduced due to the 20 mm restrictor placed on the intake by regulation.

MY 2016

For the new car, a version of the power unit is currently being developed that has been thoroughly revised in terms of mechanics and fluid dynamics. The main improvements include:

• redesigned camshafts, suitable for working with a turbocharged engine, and allowing a consistent reduction in consumption;
• piston with increased bore, to reach a displacement of 518cc;
• **electronically controlled waste-gate, to have complete control of the boost pressure under all conditions and at all engine speeds;
• exhaust manifold and turbine housing to protect the electronics located near the exhaust.

Here is the video of the bench tests: Video

We would like to thank:

• Betamotor: for supplying and processing the engines, spare parts, service and many necessary components for the powertrain;
• Honeywell: for supplying the turbochargers and the components governing their operation;
• Mectronik: for the support of the engine ECU management; AEC: for the supply of the turbocharger speed sensor;
• METAL-PLASMA: for exhaust cementing treatment; Gamma Technologies: for GT-POWER software for 1D engine analysis.