The next Porsche 911 GT3 will have... better powertrain mounts!! ;-))
Delphi Corporation has developed a new powertrain mount for use on high-performance cars and this will be first used on the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3. Using magneto rheological (MR) fluid that can change its dynamic rate in real time, the new MR mount reduces powertrain noise and vibration, and improves vehicle performance and stability.
‘This is the first technology that allows precise real-time management of the relevant frequencies created by an automotive powertrain, including the challenging low frequencies and higher amplitudes caused by transient torque events,’ says Delphi’s MR Mount manager, Timothy Schlangen. Now, you needn’t worry if that sounds like Greek or Latin, because we don’t understand the tech-heavy mumbo-jumbo either. What matters is, this MR mount thing can, apparently, improve a car’s performance, safety and refinement through vehicle-specific tuning.
Powertrain mounts provide a wide range of functions. As well as suspending the mass of the engine and transmission, the mounts provide a reaction point for torque, and isolate the body of the vehicle from powertrain noise and vibration. According to Delphi, its MR technology ‘almost completely eliminates the need to compromise the way the mounts behave for each function and each dynamic state by allowing the stiffness to be tuned to control appropriate powertrain frequencies in real-time.’
The Delphi system uses soft iron particles suspended in a base fluid, held within a cavity in the rubber body of the mount. When a magnetic field is applied by a coil, the particles become aligned, increasing the sheer stress and therefore the resistance to flow. The stronger the magnetic field, the higher the dynamic rate (effectively, the stiffness) of the system.
The current is controlled by a processor that receives data already available on the vehicle data bus. This data can include throttle position, road speed, engine speed, temperature and any other information required to deliver the level of control specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Closed loop feedback is provided by direct measurement of the fluid pressure in the system, ensuring real time compensation for changing conditions as the system components age.
‘The level of sound and vibration transfer can be greatly reduced. It also opens new opportunities for brand-specific tuning and vehicles whose character changes depending on the driver’s requirement, perhaps linked to other active systems such as dampers and a sports exhaust to transform the noise and feel at the flick of a switch,’ says Schlangen.
So the bottomline is, if you ever needed just one more reason to rush out and book a Porsche 911 GT3, Delphi’s just given you that reason… :-))
