So, you're ready to step up. You're tired of throwing parts at the same old engine and not seeing the results you'd like. You've considered all the crate motor options out there, and you genuinely feel the need to craft an engine of your own, specifically to do what you'd like in your car. You need to be quicker than all your pals, and you're looking for an edge.
Engine modeling software offers the edge you want, and this new offering from ProRacing Sim boasts many features and benefits not available in any other program in an affordable price range. Designed as a capable tool for the home enthusiast or the polished professional, ProRacing Sim's DynoSim is an easily-navigated collection of pull-down menus, with common sizes and parts to ease the transference of the ideas from your head into horsepower numbers you can relate to. If you've got custom or modified parts, you can always manually enter the specifics to test the effects of the mods.
Have a look over the screens in the photos, and know that ProRacing Sim has also developed both a drag racing program and a road racing program that accompany the engine software. We'll be showing you more from all these new programs in the coming months, so check in with us next month to see the next step in ProRacing Sim's complete line of simulation software!
The new DynoSim software is so extensive, we cannot possibly walk you through all of it, but we'd like to share some of the finer points. When you begin using DynoSim, the basics are already pre-programmed, so you'll find the basic dimensions of common domestic engines on the convenient pull-down menus. If your basic engine dimensions have been altered (by overbores or stroker cranks), these measurements can be adjusted easily.
When choosing specific components to either test or duplicate what you've already got, DynoSim offers the option of selecting pre-programmed mods (like ported heads, oversize valves, etc.)... | 
... or you can type in your specific port sizes, valve diameters, and flow rates to more-accurately represent the actual power curves the engine will produce. |
In a similar fashion, camshaft dimensions can be typed in to replicate your cam of choice. DynoSim also offers the option of finding the best-possible cam for you particular application through simulation testing. This "iterator" will literally test hundreds of potential cam profiles to maximize the specific engine trait you're after. | 
Whether you're looking for more peak horsepower, more peak torque, or more area under the curve, the DynoSim iterator will find it for you. The cam specifications certainly will get you in the ballpark, and if you order up a cam with the exact specifications called for by the program, it will work as planned. If the rest of the information you've entered into the program is precise, expect results like those you see on the screen. |
Calculating accurate compression ratio is also essential, and whether you're trying to determine your existing ratio, accurately program it into the simulator, or experiment with a different level of compression, the DynoSim program accurately represents what's happening inside your chamber. | 
Both carburetion and fuel injection are equally weighted on the DynoSim program, because regardless of your fuel induction system, the computer assumes it's perfectly tuned and fully capable of feeding fuel at the specified cfm rating. |
Many different options exist for intake design, which is good considering this is precisely the situation facing enthusiasts. By testing many different designs in this manner, you'll be able to find the best-possible intake for your needs without having to buy one. Once you've determined what is best for your application, you can purchase the best intake for your car. The money saved by virtual testing in this manner pays for the program many times over, especially if you love digging for every possible pony like we do. | 
Likewise, your exhaust system can be duplicated accurately as well. The pull-down menus cover everything from stock manifolds and factory tailpipes to open headers, and just about everything in between. |
The DynoSim "Cam Manager" keeps you up to date on every possible variable camshaft dimension, and as you work with the program it serves to educate you on the various design differences between camshafts and how they correlate to power production. We like this program because it not only helps you find exactly how much power you have, or could have, but also because it serves to teach users how various alterations effect the bottom line of power production. | 
In a similar vein, the Pro Tools features--accessible through the camshaft screen--show more information and data than most will ever use. Seeing such underutilized figures as piston speed and force, along with rpm-based induction airflow numbers, can only help curious engine builders design better powerplants. We hope to see many using this program to maximize entries in our Engine Masters Challenge competition. |
Manifold pressure and volumetric efficiency graphs accompany every dyno pull in the simulator, and allow the user to see how efficiently their designs are working. Naturally, continual efforts working with the simulator can provide more efficient overall performance, resulting in a broader power curve and higher peaks. By designing an engine virtually before building one, the results should be better once the powerplant is living underhood. | 
The Pro Iterator works like the cam iterator, and tests hundreds of combinations to help you reach your goal. If you're planning a new build or simply wanting to maximize what you've already got, the DynoSim is an eye-opening exercise. When you allow the program to work for you, the results are at least inspirational, and at best an optimal way to design the most-perfect engine for your specific application. It's both fun and functional, which makes it a worthy investment. |
Once the iterators are done finding your optimum specifications, the DynoSim program will share exactly how much more power it was able to find for you. Power and efficiency are represented in many different forms (like the 3D charts and graphs, shown). This outstanding engine modeling software is available now, and Pro Racing Sim has also developed both drag racing and road racing programs to accompany it. We'll be reviewing these programs in upcoming issues of PHR, and the programs are all linked so you can take the virtual engine you've built in the DynoSim program, and run it in a car you've built in one of the other two vehicle simulator programs. Since we're engine guys, we wanted to look at the DynoSim first, but check in with us next month to see how the drag racing program looks and functions. | |