DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONAL VALIDATION OF A TRANSIT BUS SIMULATION

A computer simulation incorporating the significant operational factors and transit bus characteristics has been developed to compute power, fuel consumption, and emissions over an arbitrarily prescribed mission profile. Factors considered include roadway grade, air density, aerodynamic drag, bus center-of-gravity location, front and rear tire inflation pressures, acceleration, weight, and torque converter characteristics. A portable instrumentation package was designed, constructed, and installed on a bus. Operational tests were conducted for a variety of velocity-time profiles for three gross weights. Continuous data recorded included engine speed, torque-converter output shaft speed, fuel flow, electrical load, wind speed and direction, and atmospheric data. Typical mission profiles for an urban transit bus were established by shadowing buses on two most typical routes. The results of the experimental program and mission profile analysis have been used to validate the computer simulation previously developed and to allow the determination of the relative importance of operational and design features on the fuel economy and emission characteristics of a transit bus operating on a realistic mission profile.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas, Arlington

  Public Transportation Center, Room 206E
  Arlington, TX  United States  76010

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fairchild, J E
  • Stephens, L W
  • Williams, T
  • Simmons, GAJ
• Publication Date: 1975-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 99 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Bus transportation; Buses; Center of gravity; Data collection; Drag; Energy conservation; Exhaust gases; Fuel conservation; Fuel consumption; Mechanical acceleration; Routes; Simulation; Slopes; Tires; Urban areas; Urban transportation
• Old TRIS Terms: Mission profiles
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00137349
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-TX-11-0001-75-2
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 16 1981 12:00AM