The HD Energia Research Project
Fuel savings for heavy-duty vehicles 2003-2005 (“HDEnergy”)
In the years 2003-2005 VTT, in cooperation with other research organisations, carried out an extensive research program. The project aimed at reducing the energy consumption of heavy-duty vehicles. The goal of the research program was to achieve a permanent fuel saving of 5-10%. Six research parties and some 20 sponsors took part in the project.
The research program included altogether 12 technical sub-projects. The themes for the sub-projects were broken up into vehicle technology and transport system research. Themes for research were among others the specific fuel consumption of different types of vehicles, modelling the fuel consumption of vehicles, technical aids for the driver, minimising the rolling resistance of tires, the impact of the road surface on the tires’ rolling resistance, lubricants, the influence of maintenance and after-market equipment on fuel consumption, transport business monitoring systems, eco-driving of heavy-duty vehicles, and automated load detection for trucks.
The results from the years 2003-2005 indicate that significant savings in fuel consumption can be reached by many independent technical improvements. The potential savings of different technical measures were evaluated as follows; the weight and aerodynamics of the vehicle up to 30 %, guidance of the driver by technical aids 5-15 %, variation between different vehicle makes 5-15 %, tires 5-15 %, different air deflectors 4-8 %, type of trailer 3-5 %, and lubricants 1-2 %.
The fuel consumption of a heavy-duty vehicle under dynamic driving conditions is however primarily determined by the weight of the vehicle and the driving-cycle. Under preliminary tests in 2005, it could be demonstrated that a driver’s aid suited for buses, an automated load detection system for trucks and an automated detection system for slippery road surfaces, all developed under the project, worked.
Some subprojects produced separate reports and leaflets highlighting the main findings. These documents can be found under “projektit ja esitteet” (project listing and brochures) and “raportit ja seminaarit” (reports and seminars). Most of the reports are in Finnish, but some reports are available in English.
VTT has launched a follow-up project. Emission focused activities for buses and trucks, previously carried out as separate tasks, have been merged into the new research integrate. In addition, the new integrate will also cover safety issues, e.g. the development of ITS applications for improved safety. The new research integrate is called “Heavy-duty vehicles: Safety, Environmental Impacts and New Technology: RASTU”.
Additional information:
VTTMatti Kytö, Senior Research Scientist
phone +358 20 722 5513, matti.kyto@vtt.fi
Kimmo Erkkilä, Research Engineer
phone +358 20 722 5232, kimmo.erkkila@vtt.fi
TEC TransEnergy Consulting Ltd
Nils-Olof Nylund, D.Tech., Coordinator
phone +358 400 703 715, nils-olof.nylund@teconsulting.fi
Motiva Oy
Vesa Peltola, Manager, Customer Services
phone +358 424 281 214, vesa.peltola@motiva.fi
