ACCURATELY assessing engine performance of some of the world’s biggest combines and tractors, is now possible in the UK thanks to the arrival of new Eggers dynamometer technology at Lynx Engineering.
It has added a mobile Eggers 735 kW PT 501 G+ PTO brake dynamometer to its range which is capable of accurately measuring and verifying the torque, power and performance of engines up to 1000hp.
Claimed to be the most powerful of its type in the UK, this new addition to the range sold by Lynx complements its mobile 600 kW PT 301 units which are designed for testing engines up to a maximum of 455hp for full-load curve testing and 800hp for rapid testing.
Lynx is the sole UK importer of the dynamometers from Germany-based KL Maschinenbau, which specialises in the development and manufacture of dynamometers for agricultural machinery and engines.
Dealers across the UK and Ireland can either book dyno tests to be conducted by a Lynx technician on the dealer’s premises, or dynamometers can be purchased through Lynx.
As with other units in the range, this giant measures torque and rotational speed separately. The generator, which is used to load the engine, incorporates a hub to measure torque and a speed sensor to record revolutions per minute.
From these precisely measured values, the electronics calculate the performance of the engine under test against a specified power profile. Because the generator is used as a braking medium with the sole task of loading the engine and not for power measurement, any potential inaccuracies, such as constantly changing efficiencies of the generator, are eliminated.
Its innovative control system is centred on special software software, which helps iron out any anomalies that affect engine performance, such as prevailing weather conditions.
The PowerControl software compensates for this differential by controlling the delivery of an engine’s rated performance at a constant air intake temperature of 20°C and an air pressure of 1013 mbar. If the same power unit is measured in colder conditions, say at 5°C, the software back-calculates the performance to replicate the original testing parameters.
This makes it possible to have comparable measurements from a single tractor or harvester, the first of which could be in summer and the second in winter.
Such dynamometers are a vital item of equipment used on the inspection lines of major manufacturers, including John Deere, Claas, Deutz-Fahr, Case IH, Fendt and others.
“Testing a tractor or a harvester in summer and then in winter can yield completely different results from the same input data. The Eggers technology provides a common standard, irrespective of outside air temperature, to give consistently accurate and reliable results whatever the time of year,” explained Lynx managing director, Nick Ewbank.
“With this new addition, we can offer our dealers a first-class testing service on any harvester or tractor, saving them a substantial financial outlay on special tools and training which they would otherwise need to support the sales and servicing of the very latest high-horsepower machines,” he added.
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