Analysis of the Fuel Economy and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of a Heavy-Duty Vehicle in Part of a Driving Cycle

For a heavy-duty vehicle, the effect of the load it carries, the slope of the road it travels and its speed on its fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions are studied. These last two factors are obtained from a heavy-duty vehicle during part of a driving cycle. The heavy-duty vehicle has a mass of 14.742 tons without cargo, a 10-gear gearbox, and an engine which provides a maximum torque of 2100 Newton-meter and a maximum power of 455.261 horsepower. The driving cycle is one used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to certify heavy-duty vehicles in their fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions using a computer program. There are two cases analyzed: in the first one, the vehicle transports a load of 15 tons and moves on a road with 0° of inclination. In the second scenario, the vehicle transports a load of 25 tons and moves on a road with 2° of inclination. Firstly, the forces on the vehicle are calculated. Afterwards, the necessary engine torque to move the vehicle is obtained, and finally, the fuel consumption, the fuel economy, and the emissions of carbon dioxide are evaluated. The results are computed using UAMmero, a computer program developed by the authors. From the analysis, some recommendations to save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions while driving a heavy-duty vehicle are provided.