Chassis dynamometer employing laterally moving roller assemblies during alignment of vehicle

Abstract

A chassis dynamometer for simulating the road load and inertia of a vehicle comprised of two axially-movable roller assemblies and a track to guide their axial movement is described. The two independent roller assemblies are free to slide right or left along a track fixed to the lab floor during the vehicle alignment phase that precedes actual testing. Each of said independent roller assemblies includes one or more rollers to engage the driving tire of the vehicle. Said rollers are mechanically coupled to a power absorber and flywheel for simulating the road load and/or inertia of the vehicle. A control system responding to signals from the speed and torque sensors, using a torque split control method, electrically synchronizes the speeds of the two separate assemblies while simulating the selected road load and inertia of the vehicle. Alignment of the vehicle on the dynamometer and positioning of the roller assemblies squarely under the driving tires is achieved by forward and/or reverse rotation of the rollers. A manual or automatic mechanisms locks the individual roller assemblies to the floor track.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.