A DYNAMOMETER is a device that allows to examine and accurately determine the rotational speed of the engine and its power expressed in mechanical horsepower.

Dynamometers are used in car workshops, for example when installing gas installations and in electronic engine tuning. What exactly does an engine power test using a dynamometer involve? When is it worth it?

They are devices used to measure the force acting on a given object or generated by it. They can measure both tensile and compressive strength depending on the construction. 

In the automotive industry, dynamometers are used to measure the torque values of engines and their power. Dynamometers can be divided into the following categories:

• mechanical;
• hydraulic;
• electromechanical.

They differ from each other in terms of their braking systems.

Dynamometers are also used to determine the engine’s power. They can be found in most car workshops and are also used by chip tuning companies. 

There are two types of dynamometers: engine and chassis dynamometers. The latter is a more popular and more frequently chosen solution.

This is because in order to determine the power of the car using an engine dynamometer, it is necessary to pull the engine out of the car, and this involves unnecessary complications and additional costs. Engine dynamometers are also extremely expensive and complex tools, so they are mainly used by engine manufacturers.

How is an engine power test using a chassis dynamometer carried out? The car placed on the chassis dynamometer is strapped to the ground.

The dynamometer rollers are set in motion by the force of the car’s wheels, which remains in place. In this way, you can accelerate the car to a given speed and subject it to a load while it is standing still and can be thoroughly measured.

The engine power is calculated based on the acceleration with which the car wheels set the chassis dynamometer rollers in motion.

This test is carried out using the inertial method. Another way to measure engine power is to use the load method. It is based on the fact that the dynamometer rollers act as brakes and the car’s wheels have to overcome this resistance to set them in motion. 

Dyno testing allows to determine the motor’s power expressed in horsepower. For this purpose, the engine is attached to the dynamometer, which imposes a controlled and precisely determined load on the engine.

As a result, you receive information about the amount of power the load-bearing engine can produce. 

The second method is to measure the torque using a dynamometer, and this information can easily be converted into the horsepower value. To do this, multiply the torque value by 5.252 RPM.

When buying a car, one of the basic parameters you should pay attention to is engine power. It is expressed most often in mechanical horsepower.

However, if you look at your registration documents, you will notice that according to the metric system, the engine power is expressed in kilowatts (kW). So why do most of us refer to engine power using horsepower? Where did this unit come from?

It appeared at the time of steam engines. Kilowatts are a unit that can be difficult to understand for anyone who is not familiar with physics. To describe the power of the engine, people used something that would give an idea of its potential.

James Watt was the first person who accurately determined a horse’s power to use this concept to describe the power of an engine. He did this at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and since then the value of this unit has remained unchanged,

Dynamometer tests are carried out in car workshops e.g. when installing gas installations. These tests are also carried out by professional companies which offer the tuning of electronic engines, such as TC Performance.

Dyno Testing allows to determine the power that has been achieved by modifying parameters in ECU controllers. They are also used in the process of creating software and ECU controllers. 

Dyno Testing is also carried out to acquire data and determine the exact power and torque of a new engine, as well as to determine the temperature of the exhaust system and fumes.