Fuel Savings Research Articles

Navigation Application Programming Interface Route Fuel Saving Opportunity Assessment on Large-Scale Real-World Travel Data for Conventional Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles

The green-routing strategy instructing a vehicle to select a fuel-efficient route benefits the current transportation system with fuel-saving opportunities. This paper introduces a navigation application programming interface (API), route fuel-saving evaluation framework for estimating fuel advantages of alternative API routes based on large-scale, real-world travel data for conventional vehicles (CVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Navigation APIs, such as Google Directions API, integrate traffic conditions and provide feasible alternative routes for origin–destination pairs. This paper develops two link-based fuel-consumption models stratified by link-level speed, road grade, and functional class (local/non-local), one for CVs and the other for HEVs. The link-based fuel-consumption models are built by assigning travel from many global positioning system driving traces to the links in TomTom MultiNet and road grade data from the U.S. Geological Survey elevation data set. Fuel consumption on a link is computed by the proposed model. This paper envisions two kinds of applications: (1) identifying alternate routes that save fuel, and (2) quantifying the potential fuel savings for large amounts of travel. An experiment based on a large-scale California Household Travel Survey global positioning system trajectory data set is conducted. The fuel consumption and savings of CVs and HEVs are investigated. At the same time, the trade-off between fuel saving and travel time due to choosing different routes is also examined for both powertrains.

Waste heat recovery from engine coolant on mild hybrid vehicle using organic Rankine cycle

Considerable efforts have been invested in the automotive industry on electrified powertrains in order to reduce passenger cars’ dependence on fossil fuels. Powertrains electrification resulted in a wide range of mass-production hybrid vehicle models, ranging from micro-hybrid, to mild, full, and battery-extended hybrids such as plug-in and range-extender electric vehicles. Fuel savings of these powertrains strongly rely on the energy management strategy deployed on-board, as well as on the technology used to recover the waste heat energy. This paper investigates the fuel savings potential of a mild hybrid vehicle using an organic Rankine cycle for generating electricity from the engine-coolant circuit. The net mechanical power and electrical power generated from the organic Rankine cycle are determined based on experimental data recorded on a 1.2-L turbocharged engine. The coolant temperature is regulated at 85°C and 105°C depending on the engine load. The R-1234yf organic fluid is used and the Rankine operating pressure has been controlled to maximize the overall system efficiency under technological constraints. The dynamic programming control is used as a global optimal energy management strategy in order to define the best strategy for the engine operation and power-split between the electric and thermal paths of the powertrain. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to find the optimal size of the electric motor while taking into account the additional weight of the organic Rankine cycle system. Results show 2.4% of fuel economy improvement on The Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycles.

Dynamic Eco-Driving’s Fuel Saving Potential in Traffic: Multi-Vehicle Simulation Study Comparing Three Representative Methods

Dynamiceco-driving is a well-known umbrella term describing speed control schemes that utilize connected and automated vehicle technology for the purpose of saving fuel. If dynamic eco-driving is to be widely prescribed as an integral part of widespread fuel-saving endeavors, its expected performance as part of the overall traffic system must be analyzed. Specifically, it must be determined to what extent this type of control remains effective in the presence of dense traffic. This paper presents a series of multi-vehicle traffic simulations, which begin to answer important questions surrounding the effects of dynamic eco-driving on traffic and its potential for fuel savings in a mixed traffic environment. Three representative methods of dynamic eco-driving are tested in various high traffic scenarios and the estimated fuel economy, trip time, and average speed results are compared. Independent variables include technology penetration rate and amount of traffic, quantified by the delay level of service of the road network’s traffic light facility. It is shown that, for the given test cases, average mpg increases linearly with technology penetration rate and dynamic eco-driving causes an average increase in mpg regardless of traffic amount. Overall results are promising for the usefulness of this clever class of fuel-saving technologies, in high traffic as well as low.

New ABB Sequential Turbocharging System — Fuel Savings for Large Two-stroke Engines

New ABB Sequential Turbocharging System — Fuel Savings for Large Two-stroke Engines

Optimal control of a turbocharged direct injection diesel engine by direct method optimization

This work studies the effect and performance of an optimal control strategy on engine fuel efficiency and pollutant emissions. An accurate mean value control-oriented engine model has been developed and experimental validation on a wide range of operating conditions was carried out. A direct optimization method based on Euler’s collocation scheme is used in combination with the above model in order to address the optimal control of the engine. This optimization method provides the optimal trajectories of engine controls (fueling rate, exhaust gas recirculation valve position, variable turbine geometry position and start of injection) to reproduce a predefined route (speed trajectory including variable road grade), minimizing fuel consumption with limited [Formula: see text] emissions and a low soot stamp. This optimization procedure is performed for a set of different [Formula: see text] emission limits in order to analyze the trade-off between optimal fuel consumption and minimum emissions. Optimal control strategies are validated in an engine test bench and compared against engine factory calibration. Experimental results show that significant improvements in both fuel efficiency and emissions reduction can be achieved with optimal control strategy. Fuel savings at about 4% and less than half of the factory [Formula: see text] emissions were measured in the actual engine, while soot generation was still low. Experimental results and optimal control trajectories are thoroughly analyzed, identifying the different strategies that allowed those performance improvements.

Fuel savings for a general cargo ship employing retractable bow foils

Route simulations were performed on a 100 m long (between perpendiculars) general cargo ship equipped with retractable bow-mounted foils, so-called wavefoils, for resistance reduction and motion damping in waves. Two round-trip routes were simulated: Orkney Islands to Iceland and across the Bay of Biscay. Ship motions and added resistance in waves were calculated in the frequency domain. Foil thrust was calculated in the time domain, based on a frequency-domain model of the vessel motions with wavefoils, using a slightly modified version of the Leishman–Beddoes dynamic stall model [22]. For both directions of each route, 1000 journeys with and without wavefoils were simulated, with wind and wave conditions obtained from ECMWF hindcast data. In the simulations, two identical ships, one equipped with wavefoils and the other without, were assumed operating in parallel, starting their journeys at random times between January 1, 2000, and December 1, 2014. The brake power was constant for the ship without wavefoils, whereas the ship with wavefoils reduced its power to obtain the same speed as the ship without wavefoils. For the most favorable route with respect to this study, Orkney Islands to Iceland, the average fuel saving was 22% for a constant brake power without foils that corresponds to a calm-water speed of 14 knots.

Fuel consumption of rotorcrafts and potentiality for hybrid electric power systems

The paper proposes a simulation approach to evaluate the power required by a rotorcraft in standard flight missions and in emergency landing maneuvers, and the corresponding fuel consumption, in order to compare the feasibility and potential fuel savings for different hybrid power systems. More in detail, three options are analyzed, namely electrification of the tail rotor, fully hybrid electric propulsion and electric emergency landing. Weight penalty and potential fuel saving for the proposed hybridization schemes are evaluated for an Agusta-Westland A109 twin engine helicopter model. Nonetheless the discussed methods of analysis have general validity for single main rotor helicopter configurations.Two different scenarios are considered in this investigation: current technologies for batteries and motors and improved electrical components, with performance projections as of 2040. According to this analysis, electrification of the tail rotor and parallel hybridization are feasible with available technology, whereas a fully electrical power system for emergency landing could be developed only in the future. Finally, a parallel hybrid electric power system is sized according to the analysis of power request over four different missions. Fuel savings are evaluated for different energy management strategies. According to the results of this investigation, the parallel hybrid electric power system with present-day and future technologies can save fuel up to 5% and 12%, respectively, with an appropriate energy management strategy.

Fuel savings and carbon dioxide emission reduction in a fired clay bricks production plant using olive oil wastes: A simulation study

Abstract Olive oil production is a major food industry especially in Mediterranean countries. Considering that only 20% of olive fruits is oil, the remaining material constitutes currently a waste that must be adequately handled because of its high polluting capacity. As part of a broader work in which the technical feasibility of using wastes from the olive oil industry for producing fired clay bricks was demonstrated at laboratory scale, this work presents a simulation study for a whole industrial plant under seven different scenarios. The effects on brick properties and plant operation, especially concerning energy requirements and effect on carbon dioxide emissions were examined. The produced bricks meet all requirements based on mechanical properties. The use of such wastes can represent an important saving in gas consumption (2.9–18%) in plant operation. Furthermore, a reduction of up to 13% in the actual emission rate of carbon dioxide can be reached. This can also alleviate the environmental problems derived from olive oil wastes handling and disposal.

Fuel savings, cooking time and user satisfaction with improved biomass cookstoves: Evidence from controlled cooking tests in Ethiopia

Continued high reliance on traditional biomass fuels and stoves in developing countries gives rise to several human health, environmental, and livelihood issues. However solid data on the performance of improved biomass cooking stoves remains scarce. This paper provides controlled cooking test (CCT) evidence on fuel savings from a promising improved biomass cooking stove in Ethiopia. The stove is called Mirt (meaning “best” in Amharic), and is used to bake injera, the staple food in much of Ethiopia. Injera preparation accounts for about half the primary energy consumed in the country. We find that the Mirt stove offers fuel savings of 22% to 31% compared with a traditional three-stone tripod, with little or no increase in cooking time. Fuel savings in the CCTs are significant, but are substantially smaller than in laboratory testing. Users also generally report high levels of satisfaction with the stove, which is crucial for successful large-scale adoption. The fuelwood savings increase and cooking times decline over time, suggesting the importance of user experience and learning. Though our results are robust to different ways that the stoves were rolled out, conclusions regarding acceptability of the stove are still indicative, because of the CCT methodology we employ. Despite the limitations of our study, the findings suggest that the Mirt stove could have positive welfare effects for households who adopt it.

Green Driver: Travel Behaviors Revisited on Fuel Saving and Less Emission

Road transportation is the main energy consumer and major contributor of ever-increasing hazardous emissions. Transportation professionals have raised the idea of applying the green concept in various areas of transportation, including green highways, green vehicles and transit-oriented designs, to tackle the negative impact of road transportation. This research generated a new dimension called the green driver to remediate urgently the existing driving assessment models that have intensified emissions and energy consumption. In this regard, this study aimed to establish the green driver’s behaviors related to fuel saving and emission reduction. The study has two phases. Phase one involves investigating the driving behaviors influencing fuel saving and emission reduction through a systematic literature review and content analysis, which identified twenty-one variables classified into four clusters. These clusters included the following: (i) FEf1, which is driving style; (ii) FEf2, which is driving behavior associated with vehicle transmission; (iii) FEf3, which is driving behavior associated with road design and traffic rules; and (iv) FEf4, which is driving behavior associated with vehicle operational characteristics. The second phase involves validating phase one findings by applying the Grounded Group Decision Making (GGDM) method. The results of GGDM have established seventeen green driving behaviors. The study conducted the Green Value (GV) analysis for each green behavior on fuel saving and emission reduction. The study found that aggressive driving (GV = 0.16) interferes with the association between fuel consumption, emission and driver’s personalities. The research concludes that driver’s personalities (including physical, psychological and psychosocial characteristics) have to be integrated for advanced in-vehicle driver assistance system and particularly, for green driving accreditation.

Fuel Saving on Diesel Genset using PV/Battery Spike Cutting in Remote Area Microgrid

Diesel Generator set was found to be a favorite power generator in a remote area. In this area, diesel genset usually consumes a significant amount of diesel fuel with higher fuel price than an urban area. Diesel Generator capacity conventionally prepared twice bigger or more than the existing load to prevent any load spike from designated equipment. This work implements an Energy Management System to cut the spike with the support from battery storage unit and photovoltaic module. Once the Energy Management System cut the load spike using battery/photovoltaics, Diesel Generator loads no longer need to be irrelevantly bigger than the existing load. The current experiment in the remote island at Raja Ampat archipelago indicates that the using of 80 kVA Diesel Generator can be reduced to 42 kVA Diesel Generator. This Diesel Generator replacement induces fuel consumption up to 50 %. With this designed work, a smart microgrid with PV-Battery-Diesel can be installed in a designated remote area with lower fuel consumption.

Fuel Saving Effect of Hybrid Propulsion System - Case: Tugboat is on Service

Fuel Saving Effect of Hybrid Propulsion System - Case: Tugboat is on Service

Improving diesel engine efficiency at high speeds and loads through improved breathing via delayed intake valve closure timing

Valve train flexibility enables optimization of the cylinder-manifold gas exchange process across an engine’s torque/speed operating space. This study focuses on the diesel engine fuel economy improvements possible through delayed intake valve closure timing as a means to improve volumetric efficiency at elevated engine speeds via dynamic charging. It is experimentally and analytically demonstrated that intake valve modulation can be employed at high-speed (2200 r/min) and medium-to-high load conditions (12.7 and 7.6 bar brake mean effective pressure) to increase volumetric efficiency. The resulting increase in inducted charge enables higher exhaust gas recirculation fractions without penalizing the air-to-fuel ratio. Higher exhaust gas recirculation fractions allow efficiency improving injection advances without sacrificing NOx. Fuel savings of 1.2% and 1.9% are experimentally demonstrated at 2200 r/min for 12.7 and 7.6 bar brake mean effective pressure operating conditions via this combined strategy of delayed intake valve closure, higher exhaust gas recirculation fractions, and earlier injections.

Optimized Energy Management System to Reduce Fuel Consumption in Remote Military Microgrids

This paper presents an optimized energy management system (OEMS) to control the microgrid of a remote temporary military base (FOB) featuring diesel generators, a battery energy storage system (BESS), and photovoltaic (PV) panels. The information of the expected electric demand is suitably used to improve the sizing and management of the BESS, according to the days of operation. The OEMS includes power electronics to charge the batteries from either the PV source or the diesel generators, and it can function as a current source when it is supplementing the power from one of the generators or as a voltage source when it is the sole source of power for the loads. The new contribution of this paper includes the optimization of a FOB's microgrid, where critical loads must be serviced at all times. The proposed optimization, which uses Special Order Sets for the semicontinuous function handling, also integrates economic evaluations by properly taking into account how the size of BESS affects its charge/discharge cycle; thus, the FOBs’ battery lifetime, in addition to its fuel consumption. Results from optimization are employed by the OEMS to coordinate the energy sources, and match the critical and noncritical loads with the available supply. Fuel savings of $\approx {\text{30}}\%$ (and $\approx {\text{50}}\%$ adding the PV source) can be achieved with respect to the already improved, but not optimal, solution of a previous work.

Achievement of Fuel Savings in Wheel Loader by Applying Hydrodynamic Mechanical Power Split Transmissions

The fuel economy of wheel loaders is deeply affected by the efficiency of their propelling transmissions, however, the torque converter (TC) in existing propelling transmissions is a low-efficiency component and leads to excessive energy consumption. Accordingly, this paper replaces the TC with a hydrodynamic mechanical power split transmission (HMPST) for improving the fuel economy of wheel loader. Based on probability similarity theory, the typical operating mode for the vehicles is constructed, which is used to evaluate the energy consumption performance of the selected solutions. The four reasonable solutions, which can be initially applied to wheel loaders, are selected from among the HMPSTs using the lever diagram. Furthermore, the comparisons on efficiency and loading characteristics between these four solutions and a prototype TC are conducted. The design optimization for all the four solutions is implemented, in order to find the optimal fuel saving solution relative to the prototype TC, and only one solution with pure power split can meet the constraints. Finally, a simulation model of the wheel loader powertrain is established for validating the effectiveness of this optimal solution. The results show that the optimized solution can effectively improve the fuel economy of wheel loaders compared to the prototype TC and provides a novel substitute for current technology.

상용차용 무시동 에어컨 시스템의 토출 온도, 연료 절감 및 CO2 배출량 저감에 관한 연구

상용차용 무시동 에어컨 시스템의 토출 온도, 연료 절감 및 CO2 배출량 저감에 관한 연구

Review of the Fuel Saving, Life Cycle GHG Emission, and Ownership Cost Impacts of Lightweighting Vehicles with Different Powertrains.

The literature analyzing the fuel saving, life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, and ownership cost impacts of lightweighting vehicles with different powertrains is reviewed. Vehicles with lower powertrain efficiencies have higher fuel consumption. Thus, fuel savings from lightweighting internal combustion engine vehicles can be higher than those of hybrid electric and battery electric vehicles. However, the impact of fuel savings on life cycle costs and GHG emissions depends on fuel prices, fuel carbon intensities and fuel storage requirements. Battery electric vehicle fuel savings enable reduction of battery size without sacrificing driving range. This reduces the battery production cost and mass, the latter results in further fuel savings. The carbon intensity of electricity varies widely and is a major source of uncertainty when evaluating the benefits of fuel savings. Hybrid electric vehicles use gasoline more efficiently than internal combustion engine vehicles and do not require large plug-in batteries. Therefore, the benefits of lightweighting depend on the vehicle powertrain. We discuss the value proposition of the use of lightweight materials and alternative powertrains. Future assessments of the benefits of vehicle lightweighting should capture the unique characteristics of emerging vehicle powertrains.

Study of Recent Manufacturing Trends towards Smart Automobile Vehicle

This chapter describes these themes and thereby the current situation in the manufacturing landscape the current manufacturing industry is already transforming changing social mindset and government aim for sustainable production. This general trend is accompanied by globalization, increasing competition and changing markets, which manufacturing companies need to cope with. Next to these general trends the developments on ‘Lean Manufacturing’, ‘TQM’ and ‘Logistic innovations’ are more and more accepted supported by the ongoing acceptance of Information and Communication Technology ‘ICT’. As mentioned this ICT developments are more and more visible in the inbound and outbound logistics of companies. Nowadays the manufacturing companies of Current time even cannot function without ICT guided logistics. Significant technological development has taken place, changing and reinventing how motor vehicles have been produced in the last 79 years. The manufacturing processes are now adopted to play greater role towards developments as aesthetical, aerodynamic, ergonomically comfortable design, with low periodic break down, highly fuel efficient and least pollution emitting motor vehicles. The complete process lines are almost undergoing automation to ensure quality, durability and cost effectiveness, resulting better future by way of sustainability of energy as well as adding to Fuel Saving & release of low emission to reduce Health hazards & Ecological imbalances. Since the fast depletion of fossil fuel has now a day become worldwide problem and technology has generally led to a greater use of hydrocarbon fuels for about 150 years, thus the decrease in supply of fossil fuel is making civilization vulnerable. The use of large number of vehicles for transport is also contributing to about 70% of total air pollution. In India vehicular pollution has also reached 8 times than it was 20 years before. Currently India is the fifth country which produces higher rate of emission and creating environmental & ecological imbalance after rating of USA, China, Russia & Japan. The world wide researches are going on and Japan has taken leading role for development of automobile vehicles at large. This paper covers the history of technological developments, use of CAD / CAM in designs, use of modern techniques for manufacturing processes & unconventional machining processes for vibration free, low noise and most balanced engines, use of sensor devices, development of alternative fuel efficient & low pollution automobile engines, tapping all other non conventional energy sources to develop fuel cell, battery operated, photocell and compressed air motor vehicles for future.

Fuel Saving Effect of Hybrid Propulsion System - Case: Tugboat is not in Service

Fuel Saving Effect of Hybrid Propulsion System - Case: Tugboat is not in Service

Rapid Configuration Design of Multiple-Planetary-Gear Power-Split Hybrid Powertrain via Mode Combination

Hybrid powertrain technologies must be applied to sports utility vehicles (SUV) and light trucks (LT) in the near future to meet the new corporate average fuel economy standards. For SUV and LT, multimode hybrid powertrains using multiple planetary gears (PGs) help to deliver the required torque while achieving better fuel economy. Compared with single and double PG systems, three-PG system can provide more design flexibility. However, it is not practical to search through all possible three-PG designs using exhaustive search methods because of the enormous size of the design space. In this paper, a rapid structure optimization method is proposed. Fuel-saving (FS) modes and high launching performance (HLP) modes are first identified through normalized efficiency analysis and maximum output torque analysis. Then, a constrained optimization problem is defined to limit the mode candidates (FS and HLP modes). Following this approach, the design space is reduced by a factor of 1000. Three clutch designs are obtained from the designs with fewer clutches (one or two) by using the design-extension technique. Finally, a case study demonstrates how the proposed method is applied to the optimal design of three-PG hybrids.