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As Tracy also indicated - in may cases, what
initially appears simple - frequently turns out not to be the case,
when you dive into the details.
Another seemingly simple project I thought about, was to
add a wide band O2 (WBO2) sensor option for the EFISM. This in order
to provide more accurate info on the air/fuel ratio (although one could argue
just how useful that might be for our applications).
While providing an algorithm for the different voltage
input curve of the WBO2 sensor (it is much more linear than the narrow band
O2 sensor curve) is straightforward, when you dive deeper you discover
that:
1. For the wide band O2 sensor to provide accurate
information the sensor temperature must be held within a critical narrow
range.
2. To do this properly, the WBO2 manufacturer
either programs into the automobile's CPU or provides a separate "control"
chip that uses a PID (Proportional, Integral, derivative) the control algorithm
necessary to hold the required critical temperature range.
3. Failure to hold this temp range renders the
sensor output of questionable accuracy and will lead to degradation/failure of
the sensor.
4. The PID temp control is much more complex than
the algorithm required to read the output voltage
So while I could add the WBO2 sensor - without the
separate algorithm (or control chip), the validity of the data is uncertain and
likely misleading. So no WBO2 option any time soon.
Yet this project is much more straightforward than a knock
sensor. Most automobile engine manufactures can afford to do the research
and they can spread the cost over millions of engines sold. As you might
imagine, the results of their R&D is considered proprietary information and
seldom available to the public.
Ed
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 9:24 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: How to tune with ADI?
What Ed said. There is a knock sensor input on the EC3 but after
finding the same facts as Ed mentioned, it takes a lot more R&D to implement
it so that's why it's currently unused.
Tracy
Sent from my iPad
The problem with Knock sensors is that they need to be
able to identify the "knock" sound characteristic of the engine you have
it on. The circuit is basically simple - the challenge is design the
parameters of a signal filter that permits the circuit to properly identify
(filter) the "Knock" charactertistic of your particular
engine.
So I would suggest that a knock system for a rotary
might have different characteristics than for a piston engine. So what
might work fine for a piston engine might not work so well on a rotary.
But, on the other hand it might work fine.
Ed
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 3:45 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: How to tune with ADI?
Hi Dave
If you are chasing a circuit for knock sensing try:
Cheers
Steve Izett
Perth WA
On 29/08/2011, at 12:24 PM, David Leonard wrote:
Ok, So I have the new ADI system installed and working....
I think?
Some of you smart racing guys probably have experience with ADI.
Most of the instructions that come with tuning it are directed toward
car guys that have computers and knock sensors. All they do is turn
the system on and the computer allows more advance because I is not sensing
any knock. The only real advise I have so for for me is that I should
be running just less than the amount of ADI that it takes to bog down the
engine. My system is a fixed flow so I don't have much choice but it
seems to be about right. If I use straight water (which I did for
initial testing), the engine bogs after about 10-15 seconds of ruining the
ADI system. But when I uses a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol
(too hard to find methanol around here, but close enough) the engine does
not bog.
So assuming my amount of ADI injected is about right, now I am supposed
to be able to lean to better power and advance the timing a little.
But how much? For the last testing flight I was using EGT for lack of
a better guide. When the ADI comes on, my EGT drops by about 30 deg C,
and there is a hint of roughness to the engine. I can then lean a
little and the roughness clears up. For my test flight I leaned until
my EFT came back up to where I normally limit it (890 deg C). But if I
then add 5 more inches of MAP, there is still a hint of roughness even at
890 deg and I get the sense that it wants to be leaned a little more. But I
am afraid to do that... We are talking 45" MAP and 7300 RPM here (185
KTS indicated (Vne) and climbing at 500 fpm).
So here are my questions:
Is EGT a useful tool here, and does leaning to get the EGT back to 890
make any sense?
Since Methanol will do such a good job at preventing detonation, is it
safe to lean further toward best power (peak EGT)? (note, that will be hard
on the turbo... I need to remember to bring the spare one to
Reno)
How much advance do you think i can add? I was
previously ruining 5 deg ahead of Tracy's recommended initial set
up. Can't give a number because the EC2 retards the timing with
higher MAP's. How much, I have not heard. I can easily add one
deg at a time using Ed's EFI monitor. But without a knock sensor am
really in the blind.
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