In what will be a disappointment for rev heads who fancy a career as a test driver, researchers at the University of Technology, Sydney have developed a way to put engines and transmissions through their paces without moving a centimetre.

A UTS Engineering team led by Dr Nong Zhang claims a world first with its powertrain testing rig - a high-tech simulator that allows for newly-designed transmissions to be tested without the need for a car body, a road, or a driver.

The testing rig, housed in the basement of the UTS Engineering building, is a replica of a six cylinder Ford Falcon engine attached to an four-speed automatic transmission along with associated driveline components. A flywheel system, using locomotive wheels, simulates the inertia of a car on the road.

The rig allows the team to investigate the dynamics of the powertrain caused by gear shifting, clutch stick-slip and gear backlash.

"Traditionally, testing of an automatic transmission involved driving on a road while various measurements were taken - a process that's both costly and problematic," Dr Zhang said.

"While a car is moving it is not easy to measure the engine torque as sensors need to be attached to the powertrain, which rotates as the car moves. In the past this meant that engineers used the estimated mean torque of an engine as opposed to actual measured torque.

"The advantage of the UTS test rig is that the actual torques of the powertrain, including the engine's torque, can be measured. Knowing the actual engine and driveline torque gives you more information for control of the powertrain, which in turn allows gears to be programmed to change instantly based on a driver's need.

"Motorists will see the results in next-generation 'continuous sensing' transmission systems that can be adjusted to suit individual driving styles and road conditions."

The UTS testing rig has attracted the interest of automotive research groups from around the world, including the Ohio State University Group in Gear Noise and Vibration led by world leader Professor Raji Singh. The design and building of the testing rig was supported by a Linkage Grant from the Australian Research Council.