HPM Motorsport selects Reventec for vital fuel level sensing onboard Assagai M71 Powerboat
13 February 2024, Wiltshire, UK: Reventec Limited, an innovative motorsport sensor manufacturer, has supplied three fuel level sensors to HPM Motorsport’s powerboat for vital onboard liquid level sensing throughout the 2023 United Kingdom Offshore Powerboat Racing Association Championship (UKOPRA).
HPM Motorsport’s latest offshore powerboat is the Assagai M71, renowned for it’s lightweight construction and speed in point-to-point racing. Fitted with three 280hp outboard motors, the powerboat qualifies for Class 2 of the UKOPRA Championship. Built in 1994, the 36ft Assagai M71 powerboat didn’t have any fuel monitoring when first acquired. HPM Motorsport’s Managing Director, Marcus Dodd, is a 5 time British Rally Championship winner with vast experience in competitive motorsport, and sought to implement and retrofit sensor solutions throughout the vessel for accurate race analysis.
The Reventec LS500 and LS845 are both capacitive liquid level sensors integrated into this vessel and work in tandem to deliver the real-time fuel consumption readings required in race conditions. The benefit of utilising capacitive technology for this application is that it can be installed in any orientation, ensuring easy placement for hard to reach fuel tanks. The advanced ±1% accuracies are achieved through factory calibration of the instruments in the customer specified fluid, and are not impacted by fuel sloshing, making it ideal for marine applications. All three of the sensors have been hard anodised to withstand saltwater environments and the electronics are encapsulated with a fuel and salt water compatible encapsulant. Delivering an analog 0-5V continuous output, the fuel level sensors track fuel consumption, analyse performance under different conditions, and provide early detection for potential issues.
During the ‘Round the Island’ race, the 2nd race of 2023 that sees competitors battle the waves around the Isle of Wight in a bid to be the fastest, HPM Motorsport’s Powerboat’s starboard fuel tank failed causing fuel to seep into the bilge. Due to the continuous liquid level measurement by the LS500, the sensor detected the rapid loss of fuel which notified those on-board. This allowed the crew to shut off the failed tank and redirect the remaining fuel into the other 2 onboard tanks via transfer pumps and prevent fuel from emptying into the sea. This quick action resulted in the powerboat continuing to finish and win the race.
Marcus Dodd, Managing Director of HPM Motorsport, said: “The Reventec senders fitted perfectly and have worked faultlessly throughout the 2023 season. They proved to be ultra reliable and accurate which enabled perfect fuel management of the 3 fuel tanks. This was no easy task as the boat was constructed in 1994 with no fuel level monitoring designed in. With the 2 main fuel tanks built within the boat, there was no opportunity to fit senders in a conventional way, but some inventive thinking by everyone at Reventec provided a perfect solution to the problem!”
Neville Meech, Managing Director at Reventec, said: “We are pleased to supply HPM Motorsport with a variety of fuel level sensors that have proven useful to the Assagai M71 and are excited to see what the 2024 season has in store for them. We have vast experience delivering our technology to race applications, whether on land or water, and are adept in developing custom designs for specialist applications.”
HPM Motorsport plan to compete in the 2024 UKOPRA season with the first event, the ‘Round the Island’ race, planned for the 18th May.
Reventec specialises in the development and manufacture of custom sensors for motorsport, marine, defence and UAV applications. For more information about capacitive liquid level sensing technology, please visit, www.reventec.com.
