Instrumentation and analysis to validate the aerodynamic package against track data and drive setup decisions.
I designed the mounts and integrated linear potentiometers to the dampers to capture suspension motion accurately during testing. I then developed a MATLAB script that uses spring rates, nonlinear motion ratios, and displacement data to back-calculate downforce, lift coefficient, and drag coefficient from suspension compression. Combined with gyroscope and live telemetry data, this provided a direct comparison between simulated and measured aerodynamic loads.
The potentiometer mounts had to survive the operating environment without introducing compliance, since any deflection in the mount appears in the data as suspension travel. The analysis carried a similar constraint: motion ratios are nonlinear, and treating them as linear introduces enough error in the derived coefficients to invalidate the correlation.
The system validated CFD and simulation results against track data, confirming that predicted aerodynamic loads were being delivered on the car. I applied the results to tune spring rates, damper settings, and aero balance, improving handling balance and increasing maximum cornering performance by approximately 0.5 G of constant lateral acceleration.