COMMERCIAL VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY - ARE ADVANCES POSSIBLE?

This article considers various methods of improving the operating economy, in terms of the ton miles per gallon, of a commercial vehicle. It is shown that fuel savings can be obtained by increasing the gross train weight, by governing road speed to match drag and rolling resistance, and by selecting the optimum engine size for the vehicle gross weight. Details are given of the factors affecting the thermal and mechanical efficiency of the diesel engine. The former group include fuel, two stroke versus four stroke , combustion systems, and method of aspiration, whilst the latter group include piston and ring friction, bearing friction, pumping losses, inlet depression and exhaust back pressure, water pump and oil pump power and finally radiator fan power. The author concludes that if all the improvements mentioned in the article could be incorporated into future trucks, improvements in operating economy can be of the order of 10-12 per cent. /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00203122
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Road Transport Engineeers

  1 Cromwell Place
  London SW1 25F,   England 

  Institute of Road Transport Engineeers

  1 Cromwell Place
  London SW1 25F,   England 

  Institute of Road Transport Engineeers

  1 Cromwell Place
  London SW1 25F,   England 
• Authors:
  • Lea, K E
• Publication Date: 1975-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 17-19
• Serial:
  • TRANSPORT ENGINEER
  • Publisher: Institute of Road Transport Engineeers
  • ISSN: 0020-3122

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Commercial vehicles; Diesel engines; Economic efficiency; Economic factors; Economics; Energy; Fuel consumption; Fuels; Gross vehicle weight; Improvements; Speed; Ton miles; Transportation; Trucks; Vehicle design; Weight
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• ITRD Terms: 1314: Diesel engine; 263: Economics of transport; 5911: Efficiency; 3850: Fuel; 232: Fuel consumption; 1236: Lorry; 293: Ton mile; 5485: Weight
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General); Vehicles and Equipment; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00127795
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 21 1976 12:00AM