Time-frequency signal analysis of the acoustic emission of Formula 1 engines

This paper presents the application of joint time-frequency domain signal analysis methods to the estimation of engine performance parameters from measurements of sound intensity. The method is applied to measurements obtained from Formula 1 race cars during practice and race conditions. The paper begins summarizes the issues of interest in the analysis of engine noise from high-performance engines, the information content of the signal, and presents the analysis of some experimental data. The results of this study indicate that joint time-frequency signal processing may permit the estimation of various performance-related engine parameters in the absence of telemetry data. The analysis methods are applied to acoustic emission data obtained from F1 vehicles through in-car cameras during 1998 Formula 1 practice, qualifying and race sessions. The data presented in this paper were acquired during the 1998 F1 season, and pertain to the performance of the Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes vehicles during the Grand Prix of San Marine (Imola) and of France (Magny-Cours). the from The results of the analysis demonstrate that it is possible to estimate a number of useful engine performance variables from simple sound measurements. These estimates are related both to engine performance (e.g.: engine speed of rotation, acceleration, power, top speed) and to driving strategy (e.g.: gear ratios, shifting strategy).