Effect of Heavy-Truck Platooning Fuel-Efficiency Gains on Overall Fuel Efficiency

Journal Article · 07 April 2019 · Transportation Research Record

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198119840340 · OSTI ID:1558564

Franzese, Oscar  ^[1]; Lascurain, Mary Beth ^[1]; Loy, Luke W. ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, D.C. (United States)

Many studies addressing the fuel-efficiency gains derived from heavy-truck platooning operations have shown that it is possible to achieve increases in fuel efficiency of 10% or more. These studies focus only on the gains realized while traveling under platooning conditions (i.e., highway speeds sustained for sizable intervals of time). However, heavy-truck long-haul operations involve many other travel conditions that fall outside platooning-travel conditions. In this paper, we study the effect of platooning fuel-efficiency gains on the fuel efficiency of the overall operation. The authors used real-world data collected by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for a U.S. Department of Energy study to determine the percentage of distance traveled that is “platoonable.” Lastly, with this and the fuel consumption information collected in the study, the fuel-efficiency gain for the entire operation was computed, as well as annual fuel cost savings.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1558564
• Journal Information: Transportation Research Record, Journal Name: Transportation Research Record Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 2673; ISSN 0361-1981
• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and MedicineCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English