Development of a temperature sensing system for automotive test bench applications

In the context of internal combustion engine development, testing is a crucial part of the whole work as it provides a feedback about the performance and the reliability of the engine itself. The first tests with a new developed engine are carried out in test benches, rooms equipped with all the systems to let engineers fire up and run the engine in a fully controlled environment. Test benches enable the installation of hundreds of sensors that won't be feasible to install on the final product due to volume occupation and extremely high costs. \\ This thesis provides a solution to a recurrent problem present in various test cells on an automotive engine manufacturer in Emilia Romagna which may not be reported due to a non disclosure agreement. A high-speed rotating shaft is supported by ball bearings that must be monitored to avoid critical bearing damages that could lead to catastrophic damages to the test cell and to workers; This document begins with a state of the art overview on temperature sensing technologies before the definition of a list of design requirements which serves as a base for the development of the new temperature acquisition system. A couple of solutions are highlighted and compared against common figures of merit to find the best architecture for the application. A novel wireless sensing system is the core of the proposed architecture, matched with a digital communication converter to provide almost plug-and-play compatibility with the existent test cell telemetry systems. The proposed architecture is tested first in a controlled laboratory environment and in future will be commissioned for its final application.\\ Wireless sensing is a powerful technology that enables fast measurement setup in situations where wired sensing is unfeasible or might serve as temporary sensing system thanks to its fast setup time and easy configuration.