A water brake, also known as a dyno, measures horsepower and torque by using water to work against an engine’s rotational power. It can measure power for engines or complete vehicles, and can simulate track conditions for tuning. Water brakes can measure horsepower from 50 to over 5,000. They help automakers create better engines and enable machines to perform at their highest level.
A water brake, commonly referred to as a dyno or dynomometer, is a machine used to measure the horsepower and torque delivered by an engine. By using the force of water to work against the rotational power of an engine, horsepower and torque can be measured accurately. To do this, water is forced into the brake while the engine is running. The motor spins a propeller or impeller that spins in the water, and the water brake is connected to a torque arm that keeps it from rotating with the motor’s drive shaft. This arm pushes oil into a cylinder as the arm rises and measures the engine’s power output.
A water break can be used to measure the power produced by an engine alone or a complete vehicle. The chassis dynamometer allows you to maneuver a complete vehicle and measures the power generated at the drive wheels. This provides an accurate horsepower measurement without the parasitic loss of a driveline or tire size.
The water brake can measure horsepower from about 50 to more than 1,000 horsepower. Some professional racing teams have claimed to build water brake dynamometers that can measure high-horsepower racing engines up to more than 5,000 horsepower. However, most water brakes are used to measure horsepower by the hundreds.
By using a water brake to tune an engine, the tuner has the ability to simulate conditions on the track such as load and acceleration. The tuner can then adjust spark timing and fuel delivery in any given range and tune for optimum power production. The tuner can even adjust and simulate changes in barometric pressure, altitude and temperature. While using the water brake, critical engine temperatures and horsepower can be measured and monitored.
The water brake is a machine that allows automakers to create power plants that are better suited to a wide range of driving styles. Before entering the production stages, an engine could spend years on a wet test rig perfecting cam grinds and cylinder head design before being deemed fit for a production run.
While creating more efficient machines is often the job of engineers, being able to measure an engine’s horsepower and cycle is left over from water brakes. From lawn mowers to farm equipment, semi-trailers to race cars, these dynos help enable them all to perform at the highest level possible.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
