A200- / A330- and A380-Series user manual

A200- / A330- and A380-Series user manual

Introduction

This user manual is an essential part of the dynoKRAFT A200-2WD / A200-4WD-ML / A330-2WD / A330-4WD-ML / A380-2WD and A380-4WD-ML dynamometer.
All functions and settings described apply to the original YourDyno software accordingly.
This product and all it's components are an custom built device designed for professional use, and to be used solely at research and development facilities for such purposes.

© 2023dynoKRAFT GmbH, all rights reserved.

This manual is copyrighted by dynoKRAFT GmbH, hereinafter referred to as dynoKRAFT. All rights reserved.
Original user manual for the dynoKRAFT dynamometer.
This manual, the controller and / or the software described in it is furnished under license and may only be used in accordance with the terms of this license.

This manual is for informational purposes only, is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by dynoKRAFT.
dynoKRAFT assumes no responsibility or liability for errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual.

No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by anybody means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of dynoKRAFT. 
All trademarks, trade names, service marks, or service names owned or registered by another company and used in this manual are the property of their respective companies.

Manufacturer / Service / Warranty:
dynoKRAFT GmbH
Hugo-Eckener-Str. 33
D-50829 Köln
Germany


Warranty and Disclaimer


This products is meant to be used by trained technicians and tuners only.

Owner/user assumes responsibility for his or her own actions when using these products. dynoKRAFT GmbH hereby expressly disclaims liability and shall not be responsible for incidental, consequential and contingent damages or any kind or nature, including, without limitation: damages to persons or property, whether a claim for such damages is based upon warranty, contract, tort or otherwise; damages due to or arising out of the loss of time; or loss of profits.

dynoKRAFT GmbH shall not be responsible for any damages caused by the presence of error or omission in any of its manuals, instructions or related materials.

Warnings

Conventions used in this manual

The conventions used in this manual are designed to protect both user and equipment and to assure a safe work environment.
Warning!
The warning indicates a serious hazard or risk of machine damage.

Caution.
Caution means that failure to perform or incorrectly perform the described procedure can damage the test bench.

Information.
Information gives the user additional useful advice.

Precautions and dynamometer safety

Your dynoKRAFT engine dyno is a safe and proven way to test the engines performance in a repeatable test conditions.
To assure problem free operations you should note these precautions and use common sense at all times!

Engines exhaust gasses

Always assure proper dyno room ventilation and use engine exhaust extraction system which is adequately scaled to remove all exhaust gasses from the room in which people are working in.
Fail to do so may result in serious hazard to dyno room operators and will impact engine’s performance.

Warning!  Carbon monoxide / Toxic gasses ! 
Combustion engine exhaust gasses contain toxic carbon monoxide. Breathing it can cause death.
Always operate the dynamometer in well ventilated area.  Always use exhaust gasses extraction system during test runs.

Noise and debris

Keep in mind that running an engine test at high RPM and Load will create a noisy work environment which may affect one’s ability concentrate on task he’s performing. Prolonged exposure to noise may result in head ache or nausea.
Always use eye protection to avoid eye damage from any debris or dirt which may be found in the air either because of extensive room ventilation or due to equipment damage.

Warning!  Excessive noise / Eye damage.
Always use eye and ear protection while working with dynamometer. Fail to do so may result in serious health issues, hearing loss or visual impairment .

Rotating parts

All rotating parts are potential source of serious accident. Therefore always operate the dynamometer with all coverings properly installed. Use additional covering or protection to secure any visible parts of the engine or dynamometer. Always ware tight sleeves to avoid getting dragged by any rotating parts.

Warning!  Rotating parts.
Never operate an dynamometer without properly installed coverings.  Always use cloths with tight sleeves.
Fail to do so may result in getting dragged by rotating parts or components.

Heat

During an dynamometer test and substantial amount of heat will be generated by both the engine and dynamometer equipment. The air temperature in the dyno room will rise gradually.
Additionally some surfaces of the combustion or electric engine may get very hot.

dynoKRAFT is encouraging dynamometer operators to use an infrared thermometer to check if the surface temperatures are in safe range. Temperature above 55°C is considered harmful.

Warning!  Hot surfaces.
Avoid touching of hot surfaces during and after the dynamometer tests.
Some areas of combustion engines such as exhaust system can get extremely hot and touching them may cause severe tissue burn.

Electric power. Compressed air

The dynoKRAFT dynamometers are operated using electric power and compressed air.
Do not remove any covering panes, perform any service or repairs or open any electric cabinets under power.

Any repairs or service which requires accessing the dynamometers electrical system must be performed by qualified electrician .

Warning!  Potentially lethal voltages.
Never perform any service or remove any protective panels or open electric cabinets without previously disconnecting the main AC power cord.
Always wait min. 5 minutes after turning off the dynamometer main switch to allow for complete discharge of electromagnetic coils of the Eddy Current Brakes.
Fail to do so may result in lethal electric shock.

Before performing any service operation or repairs to pneumatic components always release the pressure from the pneumatic system. Please follow service procedures described below on details how to release the pressure..

Warning!  Eye damage.
Always use eye protection while working with dynamometers pneumatic systems.
Fail to do so may result in serious eye damage and visual impairment.

General precautions

Always keep minimum safe distance while working with dynamometers so that in case of equipment or engine failure, fire or other hazard the risk of accident is minimized.
Excessive noise or vibration of dynamometer usually indicates serious fault and should be directly solved.

Always verify emergency brake operation before using your dynamometer.
Before performing any tests always verify if the dynamometer and vehicle you’re about to test are properly secured.

Ensure that both the dynamometer and vehicle you’re testing are sufficiently cooled.

Never perform any servicing of the dynamometer unless explicitly recommended in manual..
Caution. Risk of equipment damage. Potential safety hazard.
Not obeying to these rules may result in equipment damage, potential safety hazard to dynamometer operators and can result in loss of warranty.

Specifications and requirements

Permissible operating limits and requirements


Characteristic
 Value
 Comments
Max. Roller RPM
 2900 1/min
Recommended eddy current brake load for constant operation
up to 15 Min: 100%
up to 30 Min: 85%
up to 45 Min: 80%
up to 60 Min: 70%
over 60 Min: 60%

Eddy current brake coils temperature
 Max. 180 ° C
The thermostat switches off the power supply to the eddy current brake at ~ 167 ° C.
At ~ 127 ° C the power supply is switched back on again.


Power and Air supply
 Value
 Comments
Electric power supply
 400V AC / 32A / 50Hz
 see nameplate
Compressed air supply
 7-8 bar
 Compressed air must be preconditioned (dry and oiled)


Environmental and workshop requirements
 Value
 Comments
Room temperature
 +10°C to +50°C
Relative humidity
 10 - 65%
 no condensation
PC-System
 preferred: Windows 10 64-Bit
Internet- and Phone
Required for software and firmware updates and technical support.

Dynamometer installation and commissioning

Installation and commissioning

The test stand must be installed on a solid concrete floor with sufficient load-bearing capacity (min. 2 T / m²).
The floor should have a flatness of 2 mm per 1 m (or better). Installation of the pit is usually possible without any further changes to the roller set when using pit-kit (ordered separately)
Please contact dynoKRAFT for a dimensional drawing of the pit.

Installation and commissioning can only be carried out by a dynoKRAFT technician.
EMC noise
To avoid excessive noise during data transfer, please keep the USB connection / cable between ADAQbase and the computer as short as possible.

Setting up your workspace

Please setup your workspace so that at least one emergency stop button is within your range at all times while working with your dynamometer / while sitting in the vehicle.

Connecting to Electric Power Supply and Compressed Air Supply

Please connect a power cable to dynamometer main power inlet “MAINS” using adequate extension cable.
Please make sure to use proper electric power source matched to the electric system of the dynamometer.
If in doubt please check the machine label for information on power system used and consult licensed electrician.

The test bench must be connected to a suitable type B residual current circuit breaker, followed by a three-pole 32A fuse, to the mains.

Warning! Obligatory use of residual current circuit breaker.
A residual current circuit breaker is an obligatory part of the electrical connection of the dynamometer. Failure to comply with this rule can result in severe electric shock or death, e.g. if the insulation is damaged! If the test stand is operated without a residual current circuit breaker, the guarantee expires!

Please connect a suitable compressed air hose to the compressed air inlet adapter. The inlet is a standard 7.4mm workshop quick connector normally found in auto repair shops.
To switch on the dynamometer, please turn the main switch on the side of the switch cabinet to the ON position.

Dyno room

Noise control. Dynamometer room requirements

dynoKRAFT is recommending to setup your dynamometer in noise control room. It is not uncommon, that during combustion engine testing under full load and high RPM the generated noise level is in excess of 100dB

Another important requirement is flammability resistance of your dynamometer room and any equipment you will install inside the room. 
The room must also consist of emergency exit wired to the e-stop circuit of your dynamometer. Please consult your local health and safety requirements.

Ensure minimum work space around the dynamometer-test engine setup. dynoKRAFT is recommending a minimum of 2 meters around the dynamometer and engine to allow easy access to all controls and equipment. .

Fire hazard

Please ensure that there are a sufficient number of suitable fire extinguishers in the dyno room.
If in doubt, speak to your local health and safety requirements authorities or fire department.

Basic dynamometer operation

Controls

The dynoKRAFT dynamometer is equipped with various external indicators and controls.
Please refer to table below for their meaning and operation.

Control
 Function
 Comments
Emergency stop button (yellow-red)
 Emergency STOP or emergency OFF button.
By pressing this button the dynamometer will be switched off (retarder power will be cut off). In addition, the pneumatic brakes (if your test bench is equipped with such) are turned on and the rotating rollers are braked.

The emergency stop button is released by pulling it out.
"Manual roller lock" (white)
 This switch activates the pneumatic / mechanic roller lock.
 When the brake is activated, the switch is illuminated.
"Light" switch (white)
 This switch turns the underbody lighting on.
 This function is only available on A380 series.
"Reset" button (green)
 With the reset button, the dynamometer is reset to normal working conditions after the emergency stop procedure.
 Once all e-stop buttons are released pressing the “reset” button will enable normal dynamometer operation and release the emergency brake.
"Pneumatic brake ON" LED (yellow)
 This indicator lamp shows that the emergency stop button has been actuated and / or that the pneumatic brakes are activated.
"Low air pressure" LED (red)
 This indicator lamp is highlighting insufficient air pressure to release the emergency brake.
If the light is on, it means that the supplied compressed air pressure is too low.
Please check the compressed air connection.
"FWD" and "REV" buttons (green / white)
 With these buttons you control the roller set drive (wheelbase adjustment)
 Only applies to -4WD models.

E-Stop procedure and reset

The following steps / functions are carried out while the emergency stop button (emergency OFF button) is pressed:
- the air pressure is released from the pneumatic brake system and the emergency brake is applied
- the test stand is switched off

To reset the dynamometer after emergency stop event into normal operation mode please follow these steps:
- Examine the engine and dynamometer and fix any issues with the setup
- Investigate the room for potential hazard
- If you’re not able to identify any potential hazard please release all e-stop buttons and press the “RESET” button


Caution.
Should the emergency stop procedure be triggered from a driving speed of over 200 km / h, the test bench must be serviced by a dynoKRAFT technician before it can be used again.
Otherwise no safe operation can be guaranteed.

Fixing of the vehicle

To fix a car or other vehicle on your dynoKRAFT dynamometer please follow these steps:
1. Please power up all systems and activate emergency stop by pressing e-stop button. This will lock the roller and ease the loading of the vehicle on the dynamometer.
2. Carefully drive the vehicle onto the dynamometer.
3. Position the vehicle so that the driven wheels are in the middle of the roller / dynamometer axis. Use integrated markers as reference.
4. Tie down the vehicle such that it won’t move back and forth or side-to-side during test run. Please use fixing straps/chains/steel cables of adequate strength.


Warning!  Lethal hazard.
dynoKRAFT is strongly advising users to the test vehicles using chain or steel cable hoist (puller).  Do not use polyester lashing tie-down straps to fix test vehicle!
Serious risk of lethal injuries or loss of life!

ADAQbase installation. Basic software configuration

Please refer to the relevant operating instructions:
ADAQbase user manual
ADAQ Software  user manual

Check routine before performing a test run

Before performing a test run or starting-up the engine please follow these steps to assure safe dynamometer operation:
- Check if the vehicle is properly secured on the dynamometer.
- Check if there are no visible leaks or fluid losses in the dynamometer or the car
- Check the overall technical condition of the vehicle to be tested (oil level, tire pressure etc)
- Check if there are not loose parts or tools left on the dynamometer or the vehicle
- Ensure that any personnel is standing clear of dynamometer or the vehicle
- Ensure that the dynamometer and vehicle cooling as well as the exhaust gasses extraction system are operating correctly
- Check engine oil level and overall technical condition of the vehicle

Once you have performed these basic checks you should be clear to start up the engine.
These check routine should be performed before every test!

Before you will apply any load to the engine please warm it up. The engine oil temperature should be at least 70°C.

Warning! Lethal hazard.
Leaving any loose parts or tools on the dynamometer or vehicle may result in serious lethal hazard.

Special considerations for ABS, ESP,  TC, "City Safety" and Quick-shifter systems found in vehicles

Please deactivate all safety systems in the vehicle such as ABS, ESP, city safety or similar automatic braking systems or traction control before the test run.
After completing the test session and removing the vehicle from the test bench, please reactivate all previously deactivated systems.

Many modern vehicles are equipped with dual-clutch transmissions or so called quick-shifter system which allows changing gears under load without using clutch.
Usually these systems operate by cutting ignition which results in reducing load in transmission thus enabling gear change.

Since the dynamometer controller calculates the engine RPM by measuring the roller RPM and multiplying it by total ratio changing the gear during a test run will result in incorrect calculated RPM value and may lead to unpredictable conditions.
This is especially true while performing “Manual” or “Power Sweep" tests where the eddy current brake is used to control the calculated engine RPM.

Changing gears with quick-shifter removes the load from the system (ignition cut). The ADAQbase dyno control system will react to these load changes instantly by reducing Eddy Current brake output to 0 and - once the ignition system is back on - applying excessive load to stabilize the sudden change in engine RPM.
The fact that during gear change also the ratio has changed will exaggerate the brake reaction even further.

As a result the excessive load from eddy current brake may be so high that the tie-down straps may break! 

Warning! Lethal hazard.
DO NOT use quick-shifter or change gears while recording test runs.
During “Manal” or “Power Sweep" test do not perform any gear changes - especially using quick-shifter mechanism.

This will lead to unstable running conditions and may result in total equipment damage as well as severe injury to operator or death.

Operational limits of the mechanical link system (applicable for -4WD-ML models only)

Allowed acceleration rate

The dynoKRAFT ****-4WD-ML models comes equipped with mechanical link system. The "-ML" stands for "Mechanical Link".
The system consist of industrial heavy-duty straight-cut bevel gearboxes and telescopic drive shaft.

The A200-4WD-ML and A330-4WD-ML link system is permanent and should not be disengaged by the operator.
The A380-4WD-ML link system is switchable and can be disengaged by the operator by operating the hand-lever found on gearbox. Engaging or disengaging of the gearbox can only be performed while rollers are standing still.

The system is designed only to accelerate non-driven wheels of the vehicle.  It is not designed to transfer engine torque between front and rear eddy current brakes.
Since many modern cars are actively splitting torque between front and rear axis (X-drive, 4Motion or similar systems) it is very important to select correct dynamometer profile in ADAQsoftware software prior to performing any test runs.

The engine acceleration rate is limited to 500RPM/sec. and must be kept at all times, also in Brake Mode: OFF (plain inertia mode)
For more information, see the ADAQ software user manual.

Axle position while testing 2WD vehicles

When testing FWD or RWD car through one axle only (so that the second rollers spin freely without touching vehicles wheels - see ADAQ Software User Manual -> Drive Mode) please make sure to adjust the wheelbase of the dyno in such way, that if possible, the dyno is not in it’s shortest possible setting.
The wheelbase of the dyno should be adjusted in such way, that only minimal safe distance is kept between the free spinning roller and vehicle tires.
​Prolonged use of dynamometer in it’s shortest wheelbase setting will significantly reduce the lifetime of the Link-Shaft.

Maintenance

Periodic maintenance by the dyno operator

All dynoKRAFT test stands have been developed with a minimum of maintenance to enable problem-free operation for years.
However, as with any high-performance equipment an basic, periodic maintenance is required to ensure problem-free operation.

Warning! Lethal hazard.
Before carrying out maintenance or repair work, always switch off the main power supply of the test bench and unplug the power cord.
Please follow the warnings listed in the "Warnings" chapter!

What to do
 OK condition
When to do
Check the function of the emergency stop system by pressing the emergency stop button.
OK condition:
- "Pneumatic brake ON" LED is on
- pneumatic brakes have been activated
daily
Check whether all covering panels are correctly fixed.
OK condition:
- all bolts are hand-tightened
daily
Check whether the compressed air supply works after you have pressed the "Reset" button.
OK condition:
- "Low air pressure" LED (red) is OFF
daily
Check that the rollers of the test stand rotate freely and without any unusual noises.
To do this, please press the "Reset" button beforehand.
OK condition:
- Rollers can be turned freely and without unusual noises
daily
Check if the Wheelbase adjustment system works accordingly and without any jams
OK condition:
- Wheelbase can be adjusted freely and without jam.
Take special attention to Link-System shaft
daily
Check oil level in Link-System gearbox
(applicable only if gearbox is equpped with oil-level check window)

Recommended oil type:
Shell Omala S2 GX 150
OK condition (click on pic below):

min. once per month
Re-grease the Link System drive-shaft

Recommended grease type:
WEICON Anti-Seize High-Tech ASW 85

Check all cardan-joint bolts
OK condition:
The full lenght of the splined shaft is to be cleaned using appreciate liquid and re-greased with white anti-seize grease.

Check markings found on bolts and re-tighten the bolts as needed.
min. once per month

Yearly maintenance

The annual maintenance may only be carried out by a qualified technician in accordance with the maintenance plan and reported to dynoKRAFT GmbH by E-mail with date, time and technician name. Any unauthorized maintenance of the dynoKRAFT test stand or failure to perform it will result in the immediate loss of the guarantee.
An initial maintenance must be carried out after 20 operating hours after commissioning.
First oil-change in Link-System gearbox must be performed after 500 operating hours after commissioning - applies only to A200-4WD-ML and A380-4WD-ML.
The nominal maintenance interval is either 2000 operating hours or once a year.

It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that annual maintenance is carried out as planned.


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