Abstract
A novel methodology is suggested in this study, with the aim of assessing the impact of the road grade on a vehicle’s performance and emissions. This methodology consists of creating multiple sinusoidal elevation profiles that simulate a vehicle trip between consecutive peaks and valleys with the total net elevation being zero. A light commercial vehicle is considered, powered by a turbocharged diesel engine, and the baseline trip is the worldwide harmonized light-duty vehicles test cycle (WLTC). A detailed engine-mapping approach is used as the basis for the results, with experimentally derived correction coefficients applied to account for engine transient operation. Engine-out NO and soot are the examined pollutants, as well as fuel, energy consumption, and emissions. Results from this study show that there is a noteworthy increase in emissions, even for a zero net elevation trip, with the magnitude of this increase being proportional to the trip root mean square (RMS) grade. For the engine/vehicle studied, higher RMS grade values (approximately 5%) result in a 3.5% increase in emissions, 5.6% increase in NO emissions, and 7.9% increase in soot emissions; on the other hand, lower RMS grade values (approximately 2%) have emissions remaining practically unchanged but still showcase a slight increase in NO and soot emissions (1.8% and 2.6%, respectively).
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Data Availability Statement
Some data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Published In
Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 5 • October 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 21, 2020
Accepted: Apr 30, 2020
Published online: Jul 8, 2020
Published in print: Oct 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Dec 8, 2020
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