Ducati

STUDY OF DUCATI RACE TECHNOLOGY A TECHNICAL SEMINAR REPORT

Submitted by

K.VIGNESHKUMAR (090111803126) in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SONA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, SALEM ANNA UNIVERSITYCHENNAI -NOVEMBER 2012

ANNA UNIVERSITY CHENNAI BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this Technical Seminar report titled “STUDY OF DUCATI RACE

TECHNOLOGY” is the bonafide work of “K.VIGNESHKUMAR” who carried out the Technical Seminar under my guidance

SIGNATURE Ms.P.THAMILARASI M.E., Faculty Incharge

SIGNATURE Dr.R.VENKATESAN Ph.D., HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

Associate Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering Sona College of Technology TPT college road Salem-636005

Submitted for exam held on: 5.11.2012

INTERNAL EXAMINER

Department of Mechanical Engineering Sona College of Technology TPT college road Salem-636005

DUCATI HISTORY Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is an Italian company that designs and manufactures motorcycles. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Ducati is owned by Audi through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini. In 1926, three brothers, Adriano, Marcello and Bruno Ducati, founded Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati in Bologna to produce vacuum tubes, condensers and other radio components, becoming successful enough by 1935 to construct a new factory in the Borgo Panigale area of the city. Production was maintained during World War II, despite the Ducati factory being a repeated target for Allied bombing.

Meanwhile, at the small Turinese firm SIATA (Societa Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie), Aldo Farinelli began developing a small pushrod engine for mounting on bicycles. Barely a month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called the "Cucciolo" (Italian for "puppy," in reference to the distinctive exhaust sound) to the public. The first Cucciolos were available alone, to be mounted on standard bicycles, by the buyer; however, businessmen soon bought the little engines in quantity, and offered complete motorized-bicycle units for sale.

In 1950, after more than 200,000 Cucciolos had been sold, in collaboration with SIATA, the Ducati firm finally offered its own Cucciolo-based motorcycle. This first Ducati motorcycle was a 60 cc bike weighing 98 lb (44 kg) with a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) had a 15 mm carburetor giving just under 200 mpg-US (1.2 L/100 km; 240 mpg-imp). Ducati soon dropped the Cucciolo name in favor of "55M" and "65TL".

When the market moved toward larger motorcycles, Ducati management decided to respond, making an impression at an early-1952 Milan show, introducing their 65TS cycle and Cruiser (a four-stroke motor scooter). Despite being described as the most interesting new machine at the 1952 show, the Cruiser was not a great success, and only a few thousand were made over a two-year period before the model ceased production.

In 1953, management split the company into two separate entities, Ducati Meccanica SpA and Ducati Elettronica, in acknowledgment of its diverging motorcycle and electronics product lines. Ducati Elettronica became Ducati Energia SpA in the eighties. Dr. Giuseppe Montano took over as head of Ducati Meccanica SpA and the Borgo Panigale factory was modernized with government assistance. By 1954, Ducati Meccanica SpA had increased production to 120 bikes a day.

In the 1960s, Ducati earned its place in motorcycling history by producing the fastest 250 cc road bike then available, the Mach 1.[3][4][5] In the 1970s Ducati began producing large-displacement V-twin motorcycles and in 1973, released a V-twin with the trademarked desmodromic valve design. In 1985, Cagiva bought Ducati and planned to rebadge Ducati motorcycles with the lesser-known Cagiva name (at least outside of Italy). By the time the purchase was completed, Cagiva kept the "Ducati" name on its motorcycles. In 1996, Texas Pacific Group bought a 51% stake in the company for US$325 million; then, in 1998, bought most of the remaining 49% to become the sole owner of Ducati. In 1999, TPG issued an IPO of Ducati stock and renamed the company Ducati Motor Holding SpA. TPG sold over 65% of its shares in Ducati, leaving TPG the majority shareholder. In December 2005, Ducati

returned to Italian ownership with the sale of Texas Pacific's stake (minus one share) to Investindustrial Holdings, the investment fund of Carlo and Andrea Bonomi.

In April 2012, Volkswagen Group's Audi subsidiary announced its intention to buy Ducati for €860 million (US$1.2 billion). Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch, a motorcycle enthusiast, had long coveted Ducati, and had regretted that he passed up an opportunity to buy the company from the Italian government in 1984. Analysts doubted a tiny motorcycle maker would have a meaningful effect on a company the size of Volkswagen, commenting that the acquisition has "a trophy feel to it," and, "is driven by VW's passion for nameplates rather than industrial or financial logic". Italian luxury car brand Lamborghini was strengthened under VW ownership.[6][7] AUDI AG's Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. subsidiary acquired 100 percent of the shares of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. on July 19, 2012 for €747 million (US$909 million).[1]

From the 1960s to the 1990s, the Spanish company MotoTrans licensed Ducati engines and produced motorcycles that, although they incorporated subtle differences, were clearly Ducati-derived. MotoTrans's most notable machine was the 250 cc 24 Horas (Spanish for 24 hours).

HISTORY OF DUCATI FACTORY Borgo Panigale: what was once just a grouping of farms and country houses is now a thriving neighbourhood in the western suburbs of Bologna. The town began growing and becoming more distinguished back in 1935 when the Cavalieri Ducati brothers, Adriano, Bruno and Marcello, began building the Ducati Factory. Since 1946, this large factory is known as the home of the Reds of Borgo Panigale... But, by looking back at the history of Ducati, one can learn that the company was not really born in Borgo Panigale. Not everyone knows that the origins of Ducati are in the heart of Bologna. The company, Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati (Ducati's original name), was founded on July 4th, 1926. The first headquarters were in the centre of town, in Via Collegio di Spagna 9, right next door to the Collegio di Spagna itself, an institute for Spanish students in Bologna. The three Ducati brothers rented three rooms on the ground floor to start their business while their initial workshop was located in the basement of their family's villa, Villa Lydia, in Viale Guidotti, 51. Their business grew exponentially and in 1931, the Ducati brothers had to expand their workshop in Villa Lydia, transforming it into the first Ducati factory. It was at this time that Adriano decided to expand the production of electronic condensers to also include complete radio equipment. Eventually Villa Lydia and the offices in the centre of Bologna were too small for Ducati and the brothers decided to move their operations to Borgo Panigale. The first stone of the Borgo Panigale factory was placed on June 1, 1935. When the Borgo Panigale offices were opened, the production grew even more and in those years, Ducati was one of the most advanced and well-organised companies in Bologna, with more than 3500 total employees.

The quality of Ducati wasn't only based on the perfection of its products, but also on the high level of services provided to its employees; there were two cafeterias, one for the employees and one for the middle and top managers, two reading rooms, a professional school, two tennis courts and a volleyball court. Ducati was a real miniature city! Bruno Cavalieri Ducati created his mini city on a 120,000 square metre area along the Via Emilia. At the time, the Via Emilia was the only street that easily connected North and Central Italy and deliveries from the Borgo Panigale factory could be made to as far as Genoa, Florence and Milan in a half days time. In 1938, Ducati opened two new plants, in Bazzano and Crespellano, two towns not far from Borgo Panigale that allowed the company to begin production in the optical sector. The company grew and grew so much that Bruno Ducati even began to study how to further amplify the Borgo Panigale factory itself. Between 1937 and 1942 many famous people visited the factory including Umberto II, the king's son, Benito Mussolini, the leader of the fascist government (who came to Ducati on October 7, 1941) and King Vittorio Emanuele III (who came to Ducati in 1942). What with all of these important visits, Ducati received authorisation to expand the company again. The expansion was known as "Plant 2" and would have increased the total number of employees to 7000 people. The planned expansion would have included a new administrative area along Via Emilia, four new rectangular buildings for employees and a new square production plant (that is the current Ducati Motor main office). The plans for expansion also included additional employees services like a movie theatre and a nursery school. Building began in the spring of 1942 but, when Italy entered World War II, it was impossible to continue. In fact, when the truce was signed in September 1943 and the factory was taken over by German troops, the work was yet to be completed. From there things went from bad to

worse: WWII bombing destroyed the Ducati factory on October 12, 1944. At the end of WWII, in May 1945, Ducati began working to restore and rebuild the factory, starting with a first phase to clear out the debris left by the bombing. Eventually, the two additional plants in Crespellano and Bazzano were sold in 1948, the same year that the Ducati brothers left the company. In 1954, while the company was under state control, Ducati production was split into two parts: Ducati Elettrotecnica and Ducati Meccanica. Ducati Meccanica began producing diesel engines and Triumph Tr4 vehicles and needed to expand the structure of the factory to make room for these activities. Between 1969 and 1973 the expansions included a new production plant for the workers that prepared the aluminium and steel parts (currently the Ducati motorcycle engine and assembly lines) and a large employee parking lot that was surrounded by a small track used to test the racing and production motorcycles. As years passed, the work continued with the demolition of an old building to make space for a new parking lot for Ducati suppliers. The building that was demolished had a real treasure inside: it was the storage space for the entire archive of Ducati's written history, including the technical designs of all of the Ducati motorcycles produced. Luckily, some people from the technical office, including Gigi Mengoli, the current President of the Ducati Foundation, worked to save the archive from possible destruction. When TPG bought Ducati in 1996, the original test track was closed and replaced by a new and safer testing track within the production areas.

DUCATI UNIQUE VALVE SYSTEM A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine valve that is positively closed by a cam and leverage system, rather than by a more conventional spring. The valves in a typical four-stroke engine allow the air/fuel mixture into the cylinder at the beginning of the cycle and exhaust gases to be expelled at the end of the cycle. In a conventional four-stroke engine valves are opened by a cam and closed by return spring. An engine using desmodromic valves has two cams and two actuators each for positive opening and closing without any return spring. Etymology The word itself comes from the Greek words desmos (translated as "bond" or "knot") and dromos ( "track" or "way"). Denoting this way the major characteristic of the valves being continuously bound to the camshaft, a tied way. Idea The common valve spring system is satisfactory for traditional massproduced engines that do not rev highly and are of a design that requires low maintenance.[1] At the period of initial desmodromic development, valve springs were a major limitation on engine performance because they would break from metal fatigue. Vacuum melt processes developed in the 1950s helped remove impurities in the steel used to make valve springs, although after sustained operation above 8000 RPM often springs would still fail. The desmodromic system was devised to remedy this problem.[2] Furthermore, as maximum RPM increases, higher spring force is required to return the valve, leading to increased cam drag and higher wear on the parts at all speeds, problems addressed by the desmodromic mechanism.

Design and history

Desmodromic poppet valve example. Fully controlled valve movement was conceived during the earliest days of engine development, but devising a system that worked reliably and was not overly complex took a long time. Desmodromic valve systems are first mentioned in patents in 1896 by Gustav Mees, and in 1907 the Ariès is described as having a V4 engine with "desmodromique" valve actuation, but details are scarce. The 1914 Grand Prix Delage and Nagant (see Pomeroy "Grand Prix Car") used a desmodromic valve system (quite unlike the present day Ducati system).[3] Azzariti, a short lived Italian manufacturer from 1933 to 1934, produced 173 cc and 348 cc twin-cylinder engines, some of which had desmodromic valve gear, with the valve being closed by a separate camshaft.[4] The Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula One racing car of 1954-55, and the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR sports racing car of 1955 both had desmodromic valve actuation. In 1956, Fabio Taglioni, a Ducati engineer, developed a desmodromic valve system for the Ducati 125 Grand Prix, creating the Ducati 125 Desmo. He was quoted to say:

The specific purpose of the desmodromic system is to force the valves to comply with the timing diagram as consistently as possible. In this way, any lost energy is negligible, the performance curves are more uniform and dependability is better. The engineers that came after him continued that development, and Ducati held a number of patents relating to desmodromics. Desmodromic valve actuation has been applied to top-of-the-range production Ducati motorcycles since 1968, with the introduction of the "widecase" Mark 3 single cylinders. In 1959, the Maserati brothers introduced one of their final designs: a desmodromic four-cylinder, 2000cc engine for their last O.S.C.A. Barchetta. Comparison with conventional valve trains In modern engines, valve spring failure at high RPM has been mostly remedied. The main benefit of the desmodromic system is the prevention of valve float at high rpm. It has the primary disadvantages of complexity, since there are more components, and lack of understanding, which prevents people from straying from the wellknown conventional valvetrain with its valve springs. In traditional sprung-valve actuation, as engine speed increases, the momentum of the valve will eventually overcome the spring's ability to close it completely before the piston reaches TDC (Top Dead Centre). This can lead to several problems. First, and most damaging, the piston collides with the valve and both are destroyed. Second, the valve does not completely return to its seat before combustion begins. This allows combustion gases to escape prematurely, leading to a reduction in cylinder pressure which causes a major decrease in engine performance. This can also overheat the valve, possibly warping it and leading to catastrophic failure. In sprung-valve engines the traditional remedy for valve float is to stiffen the springs. This increases the seat pressure of the valve (the static pressure that holds the valve closed). This is beneficial

at higher engine speeds because of a reduction in the aforementioned valve float. The drawback is that the engine has to work harder to open the valve at all engine speeds. The higher spring pressure causes greater friction (hence temperature and wear) in the valvetrain. The desmodromic system avoids this problem, because it does not have to overcome the static energy of the spring. It still needs to work against the momentum of the valve opening and closing, and that force still depends on the effective mass of the moving parts. The effective mass of a traditional valve with spring includes one-half of the valve spring mass and all of the valve spring retainer mass. However, a desmodromic system must deal with the moment-of-inertia of the two rocker arms per valve, so this advantage depends greatly on the skill of the designer. Another disadvantage is the contact point between the cams and rocker arms. It is relatively easy to use roller tappets in conventional valvetrains, although it does add considerable moving mass. In a desmodromic system the roller would be needed at one end of the rocker arm, which would greatly increase its moment-of-inertia and negate its "effective mass" advantage. So desmo systems have generally needed to deal with sliding friction between the cam and rocker arm and therefore may have greater wear. The contact points on most Ducati rocker arms are hard-chromed to lessen this wear issue. Another possible disadvantage is that it would be very difficult to incorporate hydraulic valve lash adjusters in a desmodromic system, so the valves must be periodically adjusted.

EXHAUST VALVE OPENING TIME The exhaust valve opening time is high in the ducati race bikes because, due to the high time of opening of exhaust valve during the inlet valve opening time so that more fuel can enter in to the cylinder so more combustion take place so the engine rpm increases and the speed of the veichle increases drastically.

DUCATI FRAME

Developed in cooperation with Ducati Corse, the lightweight Trellis frame features 34mm main section tubes with a material thickness of 1.5mm. The result is an incredibly rigid construction that remains one of Ducati's lightest frame solutions ever. Through decades of racing and development, Ducati has proven that innovative chassis engineering and evolutionary frame advancements win races. The tubular Trellis frame, used on every Ducati motorcycle, is a signature design element. This unique Ducati frame is light, rigid and beautiful thanks to its ingenious Trellis design and use of high quality ALS 450 tubing. Each tube is mitred and micro-fusion welded in a complex triangulated pattern and our incredibly strong L-Twin engine cases are functional "stressed members" of the chassis.

DUCATI SUSPENSION SYSTEM

The superbikes are equipped with 48-mm front fork and Sachs rear monoshock, both integrated with the Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) system. This system is characterised by active suspension control, that automatically and continually adjusts damping to maintain a steady attitude regardless of road conditions, reduce the amount of vibration transferred to rider and passenger, and significantly improves riding comfort and stability. The name ""Skyhook"" describes the feel of the bike, which seems to be hooked up to the sky and immune to bumpy terrain. The DSS system processes the inputs from a number of sensors (vertical accelerometers) located on sprung and unsprung components instantly and adjusts compression and rebound damping according to selected Riding Mode so as to minimise the vertical motion caused by the road and maximise riding comfort and stability. In addition to controlling vertical motion on bumpy terrain, the DSS uses the inputs from the Ride-by-Wire system and the pressure sensors of the ABS to adjust damping continually so as to minimise load transfers during transition from braking to acceleration and deceleration, with great benefits in terms of dynamic performance. Rear suspension spring preload adjustment is integrated with the Riding Modes. The system enables the rider to select the different Riding Modes (Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro), and to change setup conveniently and quickly to suit load conditions and type of trip: riding solo, rider and luggage, riding two-up or two-up with luggage. The DSS recognises customised settings and re-tunes accordingly before starting interaction.

DUCATI ENGINE

The Superquadro is the most powerful twin-cylinder production engine on the planet and is destined to power the new Ducati 1199 Panigale with absolute performance perfection. The innovative Superquadro engine, so called because of its massively over-square bore and stroke ratio, has increased power to an absolute production twin-cylinder milestone of 195hp and torque to 98.1 lb-ft (13.5kgm) with user-friendly Riding Modes that deliver that power appropriate to the rider’s style and environment. Its construction has enabled a radical reduction in overall vehicle weight and, further identifying Ducati’s constant pursuit of performance perfection, major services have been extended to 24,000km (15,000 miles). In calculating the optimum configuration to achieve the next big step forward in power output for the L-twin engine, Ducati and Ducati Corse engineers increased engine speed and enhanced breathability with the incredible bore and stroke of 112mm x 60.8mm. The intense study of power and ridability resulted in an output of 195hp @ 10,750rpm and 98.1 lb-ft (13.5kgm) @ 9,000rpm.

Engine architecture The cylinders, which remain at 90° to each other, have been rotated backwards around the crankcases by a further 6°, until the front cylinder is 21° from horizontal. This has enabled the engine to be positioned 32mm further forwards for improved front / rear weight distribution in

addition to perfectly positioning the cylinder head attachment points for the 1199 Panigale’s monocoque frame. The crankcases, which are vacuum die-cast using Vacural® technology to ensure optimal weight saving, consistent wall thickness and increased strength, also incorporate in their form the outer water-jacket of the “cylinder”, eliminating the jointing face that used to exist at the base of the cylinders. Instead, the Superquadro has separate nikasil-coated aluminium “wet-liners”, which are inserted into the tops of the crankcase apertures during initial assembly. This design enables secure fixing of the cylinder head directly to the crankcase, improved sealing and enhanced heat dissipation from the thin cylinder-liners directly into the surrounding coolant. The primary-drive casing, clutch casing and outer cover, sump and cam covers are all cast in magnesium alloy, ensuring a lightweight engine despite its increased strength as an integral part of the chassis. In addition to cylinder position, the crankcases now use shell main bearings for the crankshaft, previously only used by Ducati on the Desmosedici RR engine. Removing the roller bearings has enabled an increase in diameter of the crank journals for enhanced rigidity and an increase the crankcase section around the main bearing area for improved strength in line with the Superquadro’s extreme power output. The shell bearings are force-fed oil from internal drillings within the main bearing pillars to keep the new crankshaft well lubricated and is quickly scavenged back into the sump with the introduction of a new Ducati feature, a highly efficient MotoGP-style vacuum pump. The pump is driven by the main oil pump shaft and effectively maintains constant vacuum in the crankcase area below the pistons, reducing atmospheric resistance during the down-stroke of the piston and controlling the internal “breathing” of the engine.

Desmo dependent With such an extreme engine, never before has Ducati's unique Desmodromic system been so vitally important. With the high engine speeds at which the Superquadro operates combined with such large valves, it would be impossible for the valve’s rocker-arm to follow the steep closure profile of the cam lobe using normal valve closure springs. The Desmo system actuates valve closure mechanically with the same method and accuracy as it opens, enabling steep cam profiles, radical cam timings, large valves and high operating speeds. This system is used on every single Ducati motorcycle and constantly proven on Ducati Corse’s World Superbikes and Desmosedici MotoGP bikes.

DUCATI TRACTION CONTROL(DTC)

The racing-derived Ducati Traction Control (DTC) is a highly intelligent system which acts as a filter between the rider’s right hand and the rear tyre. Within milliseconds, DTC is able to detect and control rear wheelspin, considerably increasing the bike’s active safety and performance. The system offers eight levels of “sensitivity”, each programmed with an amount of rear wheel-spin tolerance. These levels are in line with progressive levels of riding skills classified from one to eight. Level one is programmed to offer the least amount of interaction for sport-oriented riders, while level eight uses the most amount of interaction for complete confidence. DTC levels are factory pre-set in each of the three Riding Modes, but can be individually customised and saved to suit the rider by accessing the new user-friendly set-up menu. A “default”option is available to easily return all settings to factory pre-sets.

DUCATI QUICK SHIFT (DQS)

The Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) is the electronic system that manages the gearbox and is used in competitions. It allows the gear to be engaged on acceleration without the use of the clutch and while maintaining the throttle open. The feature enables the rider to gain precious fractions of seconds, helping to considerably reduce lap times.

ENGINE BRAKING CONTROL(EBC) The engine braking control system (EBC) works in combination with the slipper clutch to prevent and manage any blockage of the rear wheel when aggressively shifting down. If the system detects any slipping of the wheel, it sends a signal to the control device of the engine, which then slightly increases the rpm until the rear wheel resumes a speed conforming to that of the vehicle.

DUCATI BRAKING SYSTEM The Diavel front brakes use Brembo's incredibly powerful Monobloc callipers, which deliver outstanding performance actuated by new integral alloy master cylinders with unique shape reservoirs sporting milled tops.

The 4-piston, twin radially-mounted callipers grip 320mm discs, while a single 265mm disc on the rear is gripped by a two piston calliper, also by Brembo. The Diavel Carbon uses specially milled aluminium disc carriers which have natural aluminium coloured recesses machined around the weight saving cut-outs in contrast to the carrier's black finish around the centre. Typical of Ducati, these top-of-the-range components provide outstanding levels of braking and set a new benchmark in this category.

DUCATI TRANSMISSION

Ducati engineers took their design freedom to the limit by increasing the distance between centres of the six-speed gearbox shafts and allowing the use of wheels with an increased diameter and superior strength for the transmission of power delivered. The oil bath clutch is a new feature for a Ducati Superbike at the top of the range. The design of the clutch, very similar to the Multistrada and Diavel models, provides for a progressive system which allows the load to be increased on plates without penalising the effort required required by the rider to pull the lever and disengage the clutch. This optimally satisfies both the need of high torque transmission and an optimum comfort for the rider. In sport riding conditions with abrupt shifting down and heavy exhaust braking, the same mechanism reduces the pressure on clutch plates, allowing them to slip as in a racing system, contrasting with the loss of stability of the rear end during aggressive shifting down and offering the supplementary advantage of an excellent modulability during hard braking into corners.