REDUCTION OF FUEL CONSUMPTION IN PASSENGER CARS

A production passenger car was instrumented to measure and record more than twenty-three variables related to the driving task, including fuel consumption and torque. A centre difference technique was applied to the pulse train from a specially developed digital odometer to permit the calculation of transient speed and acceleration of a test vehicle with known accuracy and bandwidth. In addition, an accurate torque transducer was designed and constructed and new torque measuring technology was developed. Reliable measurement of transient acceleration and torque enabled the driving force demands on a vehicle to be resolved into components of friction, drag and inertia. This had not been done previously and provided a basis for correlating on road (track) and dynamometer tests. More than 40 track tests were run and over 350 chassis dynamometer tests were carried out in ten different laboratories over hot start, Australian Standard 2077, city drive cycles. The speed time profile of this cycle (equivalent to the Californian LA4) was driven with adequate repeatability on a circular test track to enable the track to be used as a calibration reference. A fuel consumption discrepancy between track and chassis dynamometer cycle tests was attributed to differences in the inertial component of the total driving force, perhaps arising from tyre/load roller slip. A computer controlled test bed was constructed which provided a realistic simulation of on road demands on an engine and its automatic transmission. Approximately 500 hours of engine running were logged in this facility, including more than 50 automated AS2077 city cycles and a number of highway cycles. A statistically designed experiment involving 27 automated cycles was performed on the test bed to provide an analysis of variance of the factors, friction, drag, and inertia, governing load demand on the engine/transmission system under test. Using notional values of these three components as input permitted the performance of an engine/transmission system to be measured in any hypothetical passenger car. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0642084629
• Corporate Authors:

  Australian Department of Resources and Energy

  GPO Box 858
  Parkville, Victoria,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • AGNEW, G
  • Christie, E A
• Publication Date: 1985-12

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: n.p.
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Australian Department of Resources and Energy
  • Issue Number: 539
  • Publisher: Australian Department of Resources and Energy
  • ISSN: 0811-9570

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Analysis of variance; Automobiles; Drag; Dynamometers; Friction; Fuel consumption; Inertia (Mechanics); Measuring instruments; Reduction (Chemistry); Road tests; Simulation; Test tracks; Torque; Transducers
• Old TRIS Terms: Reduction
• ITRD Terms: 5405: Acceleration; 5492: Aerodynamics; 6155: Apparatus (measuring); 1243: Car; 9009: Decrease; 5421: Force; 5452: Friction; 232: Fuel consumption; 5491: Inertia; 6136: Measurement; 9102: Method; 1334: Motor; 5408: Speed; 9077: Temporary; 6255: Test; 2789: Test track; 5512: Torsion; 6140: Transducer; 1333: Transmission (veh)
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00469986
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 0-642-08462-9
• Report/Paper Numbers: End of Grant Rpt 539
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 31 1988 12:00AM