Abstract
Appropriate driving technique, in compliance with eco-driving principles, remains an effective method to reduce fuel consumption. The selection of the correct gear is one of the pertinent factors when driving a car with a manual gearbox. In this study we have analyzed fuel overconsumption based on data recorded in real traffic conditions for vehicles driven by experienced drivers, using a black-box model. It was found that the total share of trip time with a lower than optimal gear selected amounted to from c.a. 3% for motorway driving up to 28% on rural roads. The mean fuel consumption reduction factor (following selection of the next gear up) amounted to from c.a. 2% up to 20%, depending on the selected gear and type of driving. Unfortunately, the potential for reduction of fuel consumption is not evenly distributed over the entire operating area of the engine. Thus, the cumulative reduction of fuel consumption, due to selection of the optimal gear, amounted to from c.a. 0.2% for motorway driving up to 3–6%, for urban and rural driving. It was shown that due to the selection of the appropriate gear, there still exists a real possibility of reduction of fuel consumption, even in the case of experienced drivers.
Highlights
The actual fuel consumption occurring during vehicle operation is a function of many factors having varying degrees of impact, such as engine design, vehicle age, driver behavior, road topography, fuel properties, resistive forces on the vehicle, ignition technology, cylinder head design, friction within the engine, ambient temperature and humidity, and many others [1]
The cars were driven by experienced drivers in real traffic conditions within the framework of three routes on roads in southern Poland, which were driven multiple times: (I) urban—comprising driving on streets in a medium-sized city, a loop of length 32 km, repeated 6 times; (II) rural—a loop length of 167 km, with portions of the road passing through foothill-type terrain, repeated 2 times; and (III) motorway, a loop of length 140 km, repeated 4 times
Apart from the mean values of deceleration and acceleration, Relative Positive Acceleration (RPA) and Positive Kinetic Energy (PKE) are chosen as metrics in order to show differences in the dynamics recorded during driving on urban roads, rural roads, and motorways
Summary
The actual fuel consumption occurring during vehicle operation is a function of many factors having varying degrees of impact, such as engine design, vehicle age, driver behavior, road topography, fuel properties, resistive forces on the vehicle, ignition technology, cylinder head design, friction within the engine, ambient temperature and humidity, and many others [1]. These factors can be aggregated appropriately as factors related to vehicle characteristics and systems (vehicle mass, vehicle aerodynamics, tires, and auxiliary systems); to environmental and traffic conditions (meteorological and road conditions, level of service, traffic flow); and to the driver (driving behavior and user-related factors), respectively [2,3]. In a study on this subject [5], potential fuel consumption savings were estimated by using the ratio between mean fuel consumption for aggressive driving behaviors and mean fuel consumption for non-aggressive behaviors.
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