Preface

The preface of this book is probably the least read section of all; however, it isthe only part in which I can pay tribute to my friend and co-author of the first twoeditions, Dr Michael Plint, who died suddenly in November 1998, only four daysafter the publication of the second edition.All the work done by Michael in the previous editions has stood up to the scrutinyof our readers and my own subsequent experience. In this edition, I have attemptedto bring our work up to date by revising the content to cover the changing legislation,techniques and some of the new tools of our industry. In a new Chapter 1, I have alsosought to suggest some good practices, based on my own 40 years of experience,aimed at minimizing the problems of project organization that are faced by all partiesinvolved in the specification, modification, building and commissioning of enginetest laboratories.The product of an engine test facility is data and byproduct is the experiencegained by the staff and hopefully retained by the company. These data have tobe relevant to the experiments being run, and every component of the test facilityhas to play its part, within an integrated whole, in ensuring that the test data areas valid and uncorrupted as possible, within the sensible limits of the facility’srole. It was our intention when producing the first edition to create an eclecticsource of information that would assist any engineer faced with the many designand operational problems of both engine testing and engine test facilities. In theintervening years, the problems have become more difficult as the nature of theengine control has changed significantly, while the time and legislative pressureshave increased. However, it is the laws of physics that rule supreme in our worldand they can continue to cause problems in areas outside the specialization of manyindividual readers. I hope that this third edition helps the readers involved in someaspect of engine testing to gain a holistic view of the whole interactive package thatmakes up a test facility and to avoid, or solve, some of the problems that they maymeet in our industry.Having spoken to a number of readers of the two proceeding editions of this book I have reorganized the contents of most of the chapters in order to reflect the way inwhich the book is used.Writing this edition has, at times, been a lonely and wearisome task that wouldnot have been completed without the support of my wife Diana and my friends.Many people have assisted me with their expert advice in the task of writing thisthird edition. I have to thank all my present AVL colleagues in the UK and Austria,particularly Stuart Brown, David Moore and Colin Freeman who have shared many

viii

Preface

of my experiences in the test industry over the last 20 years, also Dave Rogers, CraigAndrews, Hans Erlach and finally Gerhard Müller for his invaluable help with thecomplexities of electrical distribution circuits.A.J. Martyr

Inkberrow22 September 2006

Acknowledgements

Figures 3.6, 3.13, 3.15

and

3.16

Reprinted from

Industrial Noise Control

, Fader, bypermission of John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Figure 3.9

Reprinted from technical literature of Type TSC by courtesy of Christieand Grey Ltd, UK

Figure 3.14

Reprinted from

Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology

, Vol. 12,1987, by kind permission of McGraw-Hill Inc., New York

Figure 5.3

Reprinted from CIBSE Guide C, section C4, by permission of the Char-tered Institution of Building Services Engineers

Figure 5.10

Reprinted from I.H.V.E. Psychometric Chart, by permission of theChartered Institution of Building Services Engineers

Figure 7.1

Reprinted from BS799. Extracts from British Standards are reprinted withthe permission of BSI. Complete copies can be obtained by post from BSI Sales,Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6LE, UK

Figure 7.2

Reprinted from

The Storage and Handling of Petroleum Liquids

, Hughesand Swindells, with the kind permission of Edward Arnold Publishers

Figure 7.3