AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO IMPROVING VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY AND PERFORMANCE

A general purpose simulation program called total automotive performance (TAP) has been developed to analyze ways to improve vehicle fuel efficiency on the basis of parameter studies. The major features of TAP include: (1) The ability to predict the changes in fuel consumption resulting from improvements made in many components; (2) The establishment of an integrated engineering data base; and (3) Interactive operation with wide user convenience in model preparation and output display. This analytical tool has made it possible to evaluate the effects of design changes on fuel economy levels, to make significant decreases in total vehicle energy losses, and to optimize drivetrain parameters. This paper outlines the TAP vehicle fuel economy and performance simulation program and presents examples of the analytical results obtained.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • ISATA 83. Volume 2. International Symposium on Automotive Technology and Automation with particular reference to Electronics and Energy Saving in the Automotive Industries: Product and Process, Cologne, 19-23 September 1983.
• Corporate Authors:

  Automotive Automotion Limited

  42 Lloyd Park Avenue
  Croydon CRO 5SB, Surrey,   England 

  Ford Werke AG

  ,   Germany 
• Authors:
  • Fukuda, M
  • HORI, Y
  • Kobayashi, Y
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 22 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fuel conservation; Improvements; Optimization; Power trains; Simulation; Vehicle design; Vehicle drive systems; Vehicle performance
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00393226
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-037 291
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 29 1985 12:00AM