NHRA works with teams, Electrimotion on Safety Shutoff Controller (1 Viewer)

[rollingthunder]

NHRA is working with the Top Fuel and Funny Car teams of Robert Hight, Jim Head, and Larry Dixon to test and evaluate a new Safety Shutoff Controller developed by Dave Leahy of Electrimotion.

The Safety Shutoff Controller can shut off fuel and ignition to the engine as well as deploy the parachutes when triggered by a variety of conditions including depressing the steering wheel-mounted driver's button, manifold burst panel rupture, fire-bottle activation, excessive oil pan pressure, and dragster rear wing failure.

NHRA will begin working with other teams and Electrimotion immediately to further evaluate the system. After system validation is complete, NHRA could mandate the use of the Safety Shutoff Controller on Funny Cars later this year. Use of this controller on Top Fuel cars also will be evaluated with the goal of mandating them for that class as well.

 

[ProNitro Pete]

This will be very interesting to follow.
.
.
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Will there be TESTING?
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I mean, Geez, do they expect teams to do live R&D during event racing.
Especially with both Robert and Larry 3rd in points in their respective class'............................with 6 races left to the season.

 

[.]

I've thought they've needed something like this for many years. All you have to do is think back to Shelly Howard's wreck to see how bad the outcome is of a runaway car. Imagine a top fuel dragster or funny car screaming back towards the starting line with tons of people behind the line during a national event.

 

[Z28LT1]

I think it is a good idea, but with the speeds we are working with, I think it might not work. IMHO; by the time someone hits the button, I'm guess the damage would already be done, or the driver would already be in trouble. Also, someone could get a little jumpy and cost someone a round.

I think it works well for monster trucks because they don't deal with the type of speed NHRA deals with, and with there weight and those bigs tires, they slow down pretty quick on there own.

I'm not saying it's not worth investigating, but It's monday, and from my armchair here, I'm not sure it will work. But, I'm glad NHRA is trying.

 

[clwill]

I think it is a good idea, but with the speeds we are working with, I think it might not work. IMHO; by the time someone hits the button, I'm guess the damage would already be done, or the driver would already be in trouble.

Note that a number of things can trigger it, not just the driver.

 

[The Counterfeiter]

This will be very interesting to follow.
.Will there be TESTING? I mean, Geez, do they expect teams to do live R&D during event racing.Especially with both Robert and Larry 3rd in points in their respective class'............................with 6 races left to the season.

1. Info is from NHRA.com - talk about oversimplification! Diagrams at Electrimotion.com. Can't see a provision for fire bottle activation or "excessive oil pan pressure", does anyone knows what that level is or when to trigger the system?
2. Testing is not allowed, so does NHRA throw these on Funny Cars during the last six races or does "later this year" mean after the season is over?
3. I can see it now - "OK, Jim Bob, we've set this here FC up so the engine blows. That should get that oil pan pressure high enough to save you. Git in there and let us know if you survive."
I wish there was more information available - seems like there are a lot of things that could go wrong. We all want more safety, but . . . JMHO

 

[Just Paul]

I don't think anything outside the car can set it off. It's the driver, or a data recorder on the car that would put it into action the way it sounds.

 

[Z28LT1]

I don't think anything outside the car can set it off. It's the driver, or a data recorder on the car that would put it into action the way it sounds.

Yeah, I guess I should read the annoucment before I comment on it. oops!!!

 

[fueller42]

I find it kind of funny, in a way, that I posted on here on June 22, the day after Scotty's accident, about putting a pressure activated switch on the cars to activate safety equipment. The next day after a little more thought, I send an e-mail to NHRA outlining my ideas, only to read 2 months later that they had began to put such a system in place.

Dang, should have patented it first.

O well, if it helps..............

 

[SAS]

I have emailed several people about this in the past. It would use use pressure sensors in the rear tires and impcat sensors on he bottom of Top Fuel wings and above the tires on Funny Cars. This is to detect tire failure.
It would send a signal to a black box, that if car was under power and above a certain speed , would do 3 things by way of a relay box.
1. Set off parachutes. Traveling at 300mph is 440 ft per sec. Deploying the chutes automaticly saves a second or two and between 400ft and 800ft.

2. Shuts off fuel. In case shredding failed tire has affected driver.

3. Applys brakes. This is to stop or slow the spinning of a failed and
now out of balance tire from causing the type of
injury the happened to Eric Medlin

Many new car sold today have pressure sensors in the
tires , so its just adapting this to send signal to black
box.


And the computer in black box can be programed to only
activate under certain conditions.

 

[qtermile14]

1. Info is from NHRA.com - talk about oversimplification! Diagrams at Electrimotion.com. Can't see a provision for fire bottle activation or "excessive oil pan pressure", does anyone knows what that level is or when to trigger the system?
2. Testing is not allowed, so does NHRA throw these on Funny Cars during the last six races or does "later this year" mean after the season is over?
3. I can see it now - "OK, Jim Bob, we've set this here FC up so the engine blows. That should get that oil pan pressure high enough to save you. Git in there and let us know if you survive."
I wish there was more information available - seems like there are a lot of things that could go wrong. We all want more safety, but . . . JMHO

I remember hearing a comment during one of the US Nationals telecasts, that the reason Robert's chutes were coming out after his blower popped, was because the system you are talking about is on his car being evaluated.

 

[JFrechJr]

Doesnt sound like too crazy of a system to implement except the brakes idea. I also like the tire pressure sensor thrown in there.

Now they need to find new ways of mounting the chutes so when the body flies off on the FCs; it doesnt take the chutes with it. Or have a back up chute that attempts to self-deploy once the body is gone.

The brake idea is kind of scary. All the cars would have to go to electric brakes or an actuator in the car to automatically apply the brake lever or an electro-hydraulic system to make it work. All-in-all everyone wants this idea to work out but the physics behind it would take a lot of research. You would have to find a way to regulate variable pressure as a result of variable speed and G-force. I guess it could be possible but if this system went wrong... Look out. It doesnt take too much brake to get those big back tires bouncing off the ground. But I guess if the chutes were out too they could help a little with the bouncing. Ahhhhhhh the variables!

Now back to your regularly scheduled 1320.

 

[none]

hmmmm..........I know the tire sensors work on a street car but I wonder how well all that will work at 300+ and with the tire all stretched up and spinning?

 

[Nitrohaulic]

What's going to happen if you shut the fuel off on a nitro car while the throttle is wide open? Kaboom? Something that closes the throttle, maybe.

Aren't they dieseling on the top end, anyways? Shut the ignition off?

Who chucked a mag years ago and kept running?

 

[d'kid]

John,

Body comes OFF, chutes come out... it's when the body is tweaked and you can't get at the lever, there is a deployment issue like Del at the World Finals

Nitrohaulic, it was KB in the mid-80's that chucked the mags and the car kept running...

and thought the JFR cars were using the CSK burst panel, chute cable, backup deployment system... besides the "Big Red Button" (i think it's really gold in the middle of the butterflies)

d'kid

 

[SAS]

I left out many details of how system could work.


Impact sensors mounted on bottom of wing of Top Fueler and above

tires of Funny car to sense shredding or blown tire that with tire loss

sensors in rear tires. Sends signal to black box. If computer in box

determines speed and tire rotation is above a set limit. It sends signal to

hydrotrottle cylinder rod assembly. That is variable in its application.

Meaning it would apply just enough pressure to a either mechanical or

hydralic system. Not to stop the car but only to slow the spinning

out of balance tire. Once tire speed is at a set level it lets off.

Again its not on or off , its variable. Hydrathrottle systems are what

control engine speeds on diesel engines in some applications.


Parachute is a seperate one, tube mounted on frame not body.

It is air or mechanicaly fired. After receiving signal from black box

Computer determines if its needed.


Along with fuel shut off, it could also close throttle.


This is only if there a tire failure at high speed. Such as what happened

to Hillary Will or Eric Medlin. With Hillary the only thing that might have

helped is a auto parachute. With Eric slowing the out of balance tire

and closing the throttle may have saved his life. And the auto system

reacts qiuckly, esp if driver is injured or knocked out.



I was going to build a small working prototype, but that would not

relate to real conditions of a actual car going 300mph.

 

[SAS]

I left out that it is the brake that is being applyed by variable hyd. cylinder

That is seperate from a system that contols the throttle