Engine Management
Banks Engineering has enjoyed a long and very positive relationship with the Robert Bosch Corporation. The Banks engineering team has worked for many years with the Bosch factory. The Banks dragster makes use of an ECU that Banks developed with Bosch to meet the requirements of the Banks Marine Duramax program. Although developed primarily for marine use, the ECU was developed with other applications (motorsports, off-highway, industrial) in mind and has the flexibility to control virtually any Bosch common-rail equipped diesel engine.
During the 2 year development program, several ECU features were added specifically with motorsports applications in mind. Working in conjunction with the BankSpeed Nitrous Controller, the ECU can be set to deliver a precise amount of power depending on gear position, allowing extremely fine tunability based on track conditions.
The ECU also includes high speed data logging that can be used to monitor and record operating parameters for review after a race. This logger is highly configurable and works in parallel with the external EFI data logger to extend the capabilities.
The ECU hardware itself is similar to that found in millions of production vehicles around the world. The reliability of the hardware is exceptional, and features redundant controls for key engine and fuel system functionality such as rail pressure control and injector actuation.
The flexibility and power of the ECU comes at the price of complexity. The calibration engineer has to monitor and review a staggering amount of information. Making use of the same ETAS INCA calibration tools as OEM engine manufacturers, he has access to thousands of variables (3D tables, 2D curves, and 1D scalars) to finely craft the engine control strategy. Between every round, data from the previous run is analyzed and opportunities for improvement are sought. Getting this right is one of the most critical aspects of running the vehicle; one wrong decision and you can end up with melted pistons, bent rods, or worse.
Again, and it really can't be stated often enough when talking about any of the "exotic" competition components associated with this machine; racing is the toughest, most stressful way yet found to test parts, products, theories, and people.
Surviving the racing crucible is only the first stage in the design life cycle of the many items that Banks manufactures. Advanced products with real-life toughness and reliability is always the goal, and that goal that lies far beyond the race track finish line.
- Banks/Bosch-developed EDC16 electronic control unit
- BankSpeed Nitrous Controller
