Improvements In Vehicle Fuel Economy Research Articles

Vehicle Fuel Economy Improvement through Vehicle Optimization in 1-D Simulation Cycle towards Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV)

The high average of fuel consumption in vehicle for ASEAN countries compared to global average has led to the establishment of Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) by National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2014. PROTON Saga 1.3L 4-speed automatic transmission (4AT) with 6.80 L/100km fuel consumption, it is crucial to reduce the fuel consumption in order to fulfil the NAP 14 target which is 6.0 L/100km so that it stays competitive in the market and also to support the ASEAN emission legislation. The objectives of this research are to design and develop a 1-Dimensional 4-AT vehicle model for fuel economy and performance analysis as well as to evaluate and optimize vehicle model to achieve the product target and legislation requirements. The PROTON Saga 1.3L 4-AT vehicle model which is a B-Segment passenger vehicle will be developed using 1-Dimensional simulation software. The correlation between the base vehicle model and actual vehicle model is 0.14% for fuel consumption and 2.22% for 0-100km/h, since the value is less than 4%, the vehicle model can be concluded as valid and authentic. All the data and engine maps used in this research are provided by PROTON Engineering Department to support the accuracy of findings. For each parameter considered in this research, the optimization was performed in simulation where it begins from the current vehicle engine configuration and then applying each parameter at each step until the anticipated configuration of vehicle has achieved. The parameters involved in this research are vehicle weight, aerodynamic, rolling resistance, final gear ratio, and idle speed. Stop start system was used as an advanced alternative way to mitigate the fuel consumption since it is cost consuming. The fuel consumption for an optimized model is 6.01 L/100km with 0.17% difference with the real target which is 6.0 L/100km. The current vehicle model fuel consumption is 6.80 L/100km, thus, it has been successfully reduced to 6.01 L/100km which is equivalent to 11.62% without implementing stop start system and 25.03% with the implementation of stop start system. It seems that the beneficial to examine various possible solution concepts, and to establish understanding on the effectiveness and synergies between powertrain technologies and vehicle design in reducing the overall fuel consumption ad emission.

Effect of Improving Vehicle Fuel Efficiency on Fuel Tax Revenue and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Vehicle fuel economy improvement has proved to be one of the most effective policies in controlling gasoline demand and greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. However, such improvement also results in the decrease of fuel tax revenue, the main funding source for building and maintaining the U.S. transportation infrastructure. Conversely, fuel efficiency improvement reduces the marginal and average cost of travel, thus encouraging drivers to drive more, and that in turn increases gasoline consumption. The objective of this study was to estimate the potential loss of fuel tax revenue and greenhouse gas emissions, dependents of fuel consumption, that resulted from the fuel efficiency improvement. Accordingly, fuel consumption was modeled as a system of equations consisting of vehicle miles traveled and fuel efficiency (in mpg) as two explanatory variables. The model was estimated by the three-stage least squares method, with annual time-series data for Washington State over the period from 1976 to 2011. According to the results, Washington State will have a $106 million loss in revenue and an 8.7% reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2031.

Effects of FTP-75 mode vehicle fuel economy improvement due to types of power steering system

This paper focuses on fuel economy improvement according to the type of power steering system. Usually, a conventional power steering system is directly driven by the crankshaft of the engine with a belt, known as HPS (hydraulic power steering). However, there is some inefficiency with this system at high engine speeds. To improve this inefficiency, automobile makers have developed two power steering systems: EHPS (electro-hydraulic power steering) and MDPS (motor-driven power steering) or EPS (electric powered steering). However, there has been insufficient study of effects of the type of power steering system on fuel economy. In this paper, the effect of the type of power steering system on fuel economy is studied experimentally, and calculations of the effect on vehicle fuel economy are presenting using computer simulation with AVL cruise software. The results demonstrate that a 1% vehicle fuel economy improvement can be achieved in a vehicle with an electro-hydraulic power steering system compared to a vehicle with a hydraulic power steering system. In addition, a 1.7% vehicle fuel economy improvement can be achieved using a full electric power steering system in a FTP-75 driving cycle. These results could be used to choose a power steering system.

Oil consumption and CO 2 emissions in China's road transport: current status, future trends, and policy implications

With the rapid economic growth in China, the Chinese road transport system is becoming one of the largest and most rapidly growing oil consumers in China. This paper attempts to present the current status and forecast the future trends of oil demand and CO 2 emissions from the Chinese road transport sector and to explore possible policy measures to contain the explosive growth of Chinese transport oil consumption. A bottom-up model was developed to estimate the historical oil consumption and CO 2 emissions from China's road transport sector between 1997 and 2002 and to forecast future trends in oil consumption and CO 2 emissions up to 2030. To explore the importance of policy options of containing the dramatic growth in Chinese transport oil demand, three scenarios regarding motor vehicle fuel economy improvements were designed in predicting future oil use and CO 2 emissions. We conclude that China's road transportation will gradually become the largest oil consumer in China in the next two decades but that improvements in vehicle fuel economy have potentially large oil-saving benefits. In particular, if no control measures are implemented, the annual oil demand by China's road vehicles will reach 363 million tons by 2030. On the other hand, under the low- and high-fuel economy improvement scenarios, 55 and 85 million tons of oil will be saved in 2030, respectively. The scenario analysis suggests that China needs to implement vehicle fuel economy improvement measures immediately in order to contain the dramatic growth in transport oil consumption. The imminent implementation is required because (1) China is now in a period of very rapid growth in motor vehicle sales; (2) Chinese vehicles currently in the market are relatively inefficient; and (3) the turnover of a fleet of inefficient motor vehicles will take a long time.

Projected fuel savings and emissions reductions from light-vehicle fuel economy standards

This study applies a model of motor vehicle stock turnover to estimate the effect of strengthened fuel economy standards on gasoline consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and hydrocarbon emissions by light-duty vehicles in the United States. Without significant policy change, fuel consumption is projected to grow from a 1990 level of 6.3 million barrels per day (Mbd) to 9 Mbd by 2010. Five policy-driven scenarios are analyzed, ranging up to a new vehicle fuel economy improvement rate of 6% per year. For the 6%/yr scenario, the analysis projects gasoline savings of 2.9 Mbd and emissions reductions of 147 million metric tons per year (carbon equivalent) of greenhouse gases and 495,000 metric tons per year of evaporative hydrocarbons by 2010. The sensitivity of the projections to various factors is also examined. The most critical assumption is the baseline (i.e., the extent of fuel economy change in the absence of stronger standards). Other factors examined, such as growth in vehicle miles of travel (VMT), VMT rebound, credits toward regulatory compliance, rollbacks of standards, upper and lower bounds on a percentage increase standard, possible vehicle market shifts and fuel economy shortfall, were found to have smaller effects. Fuel economy standards are projected to be a reliable mechanism for controlling future gasoline consumption and associated pollution emissions in the United States.

The Fuel Consumption of Automobiles

The necessity for fuel consumption is clear. Automobiles, as users of nearly 60% of transportation energy (1/4 of total energy consumption), is a prime target for consumption measures. The author here suggests ways by which auto efficiency can be increased at least 40% by 1980. Use of mass transit would reduce the fuel used on short trips (those less than 10 miles), which account for nearly 1/3 of vehicle miles traveled. Use of freeways and computerized signal control reduces traffic delay, a cause of poor mileage. Apart from enforcement of the 55-mph limit and the essentially voluntary measures listed above, more efficient autos are the best source for fuel savings. The author cites statistics regarding fuel consumption of the various weight classes of cars. Weight is a factor both at low and high speeds: in the former tire pressure and suspension systems contribute to rolling resistance, which absorbs approximately 24.7% of engine power; at higher speeds, approximately 25% of engine output is absorbed by aerodynamic drag. Exterior design of autos can reduce the impact of these factors. The author also considers more efficient accessories and warm-up. In the area of engine efficiency, the author discusses diesel, stratified-charge and hydrogen admixture engines, with attention given to emission standards. The use of catalytic converters and subsequent lowered compression ratios due to the use of unleaded fuels is considered, as is the possibility of electric cars. The DOT-EPA report "Potential for Motor Vehicle Fuel Economy Improvement" is cited, and graphs and charts accompany the article.