Route profile analysis to determine suitability of electric postal-delivery vehicles
An instrumentation system and computer program were developed that allow the US Postal Service to determine which postal routes are suitable for electric delivery vehicles. The instrumentation system provides route data. The route data and electric vehicle characteristics are used in the computer program to calculate vehicle energy and power requirements for the particular route. The performance characteristics of electric vehicles are contained in an input data file to the computer program. The instrumentation system is designed for use during normal mail delivery with gasoline-powered vehicles. The system is powered by the vehicle battery. Minimum operator interaction and inexpensive maintenance-free sensors are featured in the design. Route grade is determined from a pendulum measurement corrected for vehicle acceleration. Acceleration is determined from a measurement of the distance traveled. The value of road grade obtained in this manner is in excellent agreement with civil survey data. The distance transducer utilizes an electro-optical sensor and a rotating disk driven by the speedometer gear to provide a resolution of 3 mm. A microprocessor provides timing and data management. Data are recorded on a cassette tape.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5267262
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-86707; CONF-820531-1; ON: DE82012216
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 32. Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers vehicular technology conference, San Diego, CA, USA, 23 May 1982
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Route profile analysis system. Final report
Field Operations Program - U.S. Postal Service - Fountain Valley Electric Carrier Route Vehicle Testing