Castrol creates new chassis dynamometer to test engine oils
Castrol has developed a new process to explore how its advanced engine oils perform when pushed to extremes under controlled test conditions.
The new ‘Ultimate Performance Demo’ combines motorsport simulations, advanced telemetry analysis and endurance testing on a chassis dynamometer.
To create the new drive cycle, Castrol tasked Australian Supercars Championship and Castrol Racing Ford Mustang GT driver, Tom Randle, to drive at maximum pace in a professional-grade race simulator on a carefully planned sequence of motorsport circuits and rally stages.
Each was chosen to maximise the demands placed on the oil and simulate a variety of real-world driving scenarios, all featuring dramatic changes in engine load.
The routes included some of those currently used for F1 (Shanghai, Monaco and Miami), NASCAR (Daytona), Rally Raid (Dakar), and the World Rally Championship (Finland and Sweden), as well as the Pacific Coast Highway as a conventional ‘experience drive’.
Castrol also added simulated drive cycles used for industry-standard engine tests, as currently required to meet the latest OEM specifications for engine oils.
These multiple simulations resulted in a combined 250km sequence, which Castrol then repeated 120 times to create a punishing 30,000km-plus drive cycle. When programmed into a chassis dynamometer, the full Ultimate Performance Demo takes a real vehicle over 14 days of non-stop running to complete.
Castrol said the creation of the new demo is part of its focus on developing premium-grade engine oils that are ‘data engineered’ to meet or exceed industry benchmarks across seven critical factors: power, high temperature performance, pressure, wear, cleanliness, fuel economy and endurance.
“Our new Ultimate Performance Demo combines the precision of virtual simulations and the robustness of real-world conditions,” said Vincent Panel, head of product and communications – Europe at Castrol.
“The Castrol EDGE range has been data engineered to withstand demanding driving conditions, while maintaining the high performance.
“This demonstration reflects our efforts to continue to produce highly advanced engine oils in the market, enabling motorists to unlock the EDGE of performance.”