Passenger car fuel economy in short trip operation. Alternative fuels utilization program

Technical Report · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6647788

This project was initiated to assess the benefits that could be attained from a gasoline blended to provide improved short trip fuel economy. It was approached with two goals in mind. First, develop a test procedure to effectively evaluate any method that shows promise for improved fuel utilization. Second, use the procedure to obtain a better understanding of what is needed in present day gasoline to improve short trip economy. An all-weather chassis dynamometer with precise temperature control was used for this project. Th factorial test design was used to compare typical seasonal fuels with a special fuel developed to better establish the effect of fuel gravity on fuel economy. Two operating temperatures, 0/sup 0/F and 90/sup 0/F, were used in the program. The fuel effect was evaluated in small cars and in large cars and with standard carburetion and fuel injection. The four cars used in the program were a Cadillac Seville with fuel injection, an Oldsmobile Delta 88 with carburetion, a Volvo 245 DL with fuel injection, and a Ford Pinto with carburetion. Five of the analysis of variance programs were used for the evaluation of the data from the three stages of the program. The fuel effects are presented in detail and they show that whenever it is possible to detect a significant difference between fuel, the special fuel developed for this program gives improved fuel economy. The high levels of significance of 99% or more obtained in the analysis of variance support the accuracy of the test procedure. The test results are effective in showing that some cars are much more efficient in short trip operation than others.

• Research Organization: Gulf Research and Development Co., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6647788
• Report Number(s): HCP/W4248-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: P

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320200* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330800 -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
AUTOMOBILES
AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
DISPERSIONS
FUEL ECONOMY
FUELS
GASOLINE
MIXTURES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
VEHICLES