PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AT CITROËN SPORT

From 02 March to 26 June 1998 in the technic department

Competition departments of CITROEN SPORT and PEUGEOT SPORT are located at

the same place in Vélizy, South-West of Paris. CITROEN SPORT employs about 100

people.

 

CITROEN SPORT enters 2 Xsara Kit Car in the 1998 French rally championship and in some

events of the 1998 World rally championship (Catalunya, Corse and San Remo). The cars are

driven by Philippe BUGALSKI et Patrick MAGAUD.

My training took place in the technic department. This department takes responsibility for

designing, developing and supervising the car during races. In the chassis department, my

work was to analyse data wich were recorded on the car during tests.

About 100 sensors are put on the test car to measure movements (movement of the wheels,...),

velocities (velocities of each wheel,...), stress, pressure (power steering, hydraulic differential,..),

temperatures (brakes, engine,...), accelerations......

The analysis of this data allows to improve the working of the components of the car, to improve

the performances of the car, to compare the driving of different drivers and to to keep an

eye on the working (temperature, pressure,....).

Data are recorded during the tests and put on the server for all the team.

After that, we used a specific software (Telem Ax) developed by Magneti-Marelli like all the

datalogging system which is in the car. This software allows to see the variations of each sensor

during the runing of the car. For the analysis of the data, we define criterion which are different

for the study of each component and we look at the evolution during test with different set up.

The subjects that I have studied during my training are :

-- analisys of the torque in the transmission (evolution according to the track, the grip, the

   differential used,...)

 

-- working of the roll-damping bar

 

-- performances of the braking system (comparison of the efficiency with different components

   (brake shoe, calliper, master cylinder,...)

 

-- analysis of the driving during the down shift (analysys of the synchronization of the throttle

   and of the shift down, estimate of the time to save if this action is automated)

 

-- analysis of the clutch slipping (evolution according the functioning conditions)

 

-- determination of the stress applied to the wheel with acceleration measures

   (in order to size the parts of the suspension and of the chassis)

 

All this study allowed me to see a lot of thing on the Xsara Kit Car and to work with very

motivated and very competent people in a field that I like very much. I have learnt a lot in

the field of datalogging analisys.

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