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 Michelin Tire Test
This past weekend the team had the
opportunity to visit our new partner in tire and chassis
development, Michelin. Michelin once again invited us to attend a
track day at their exclusive Laurens Proving Grounds (LPG) to test
tires. We left Auburn on Friday with a caravan of three trucks, two
trailers, three racecars, and fifteen people, and single tool that
we could possibly cram into that space. After about a six hour
drive we arrived at Michelin, dropped off our trailers, and
proceeded to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
At 7:45 the next morning will
pulled onto the Vehicle Dynamics Area at LPG, a vast expanse of
asphalt typically used for very high speed testing of road
vehicles. The day was long and productive. Robert Wilmot (Chief
Engineer) and Austin Longshore (Composites, Safety, and Ergonomics)
were our drivers for the day. The test was directed by Erin
McMullin (Suspension) and Rob. The first step was to conduct some
baseline runs on a new set of the B compound. Each driver drove ten
laps a piece. We then switched to the new set ups, each driver
again driving ten laps a piece. The wireless telemetry fed constant
streams of information regarding engine parameters, driver inputs,
tire and brake rotor temperatures, and lap times back to the laptop
in the paddock. Jon Olsen, our Electronics leader, monitored all of
this information to watch for problems and group the data
effectively. After each group of ten runs tire temperatures and
pressures were recorded, as were driver comments. At 6:00 the test
wrapped up and pulled off the LPG grounds very satisfied with the
day. We collected tons of data, which Rob and Erin have been going
through since our return.
 The Michelin trip is something that
we always look forward to, since the first one last fall. Not only
does it offer huge benefits in testing time and knowledge gained on
the behavior of the tires and the cars, but it is a lot of fun and
we must offer everyone at Michelin our thanks. We look forward to
seeing you again in the fall!
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