Impacts of Road Grade on Fuel Consumption and Carbon Dioxide Emissions Evidenced by Use of Advanced Navigation Systems
Recently, advanced navigation systems have been developed that provide users the ability to select not only a shortest-distance route and even the shortest-duration route (on the basis of real-time traffic congestion information) but also routes that minimize fuel consumption as well as greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. In these ecorouting systems, fuel consumption and emission attributes are estimated for roadway links on the basis of the measured traffic volume, density, and average speed. Instead of standard travel time or distance attributes, these link attributes are then used as cost factors when an optimal route for any particular trip is selected. In addition to roadway congestion attributes, road grade factors also have an effect on fuel consumption and emissions. This study evaluated the effect of road grade on vehicle fuel consumption (and thus carbon dioxide [CO2] emissions). The real-world experimental results show that road grade does have significant effects on the fuel economy of light-duty vehicles both at the roadway link level and at the route level. Comparison of the measured fuel economy between a flat route and example hilly routes revealed that the vehicle fuel economy of the flat route is superior to that of the hilly routes by approximately 15% to 20%. This road grade effect will certainly play a significant role in advanced ecorouting navigation algorithms, in which the systems can guide drivers away from steep roadways to achieve better fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
- Record URL:
- Summary URL:
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Energy_and_Global_Climate_Change_2009_163018.aspx
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Authors:
- Boriboonsomsin, Kanok
- Barth, Matthew
- Publication Date: 2009
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References;
- Pagination: pp 21-30
- Monograph Title: Energy and Global Climate Change 2009
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
- Issue Number: 2139
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0361-1981
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Carbon dioxide; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Fuel consumption; Greenhouse gases; Highway grades; Motor vehicle navigational aids; Real time information; Traffic congestion
- Uncontrolled Terms: In-vehicle routing and navigation systems
- Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01126815
- Record Type: Publication
- ISBN: 9780309142694
- Report/Paper Numbers: 09-0263
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Apr 17 2009 9:56AM