Effects of semi-trailer modifications on HGV fuel consumption
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Publication Date
2021-03Journal Title
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
ISSN
1361-9209
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
92
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Madhusudhanan, A., Ainalis, D., Na, X., Garcia, I., Sutcliffe, M., & Cebon, D. (2021). Effects of semi-trailer modifications on HGV fuel consumption. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 92 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2021.102717
Abstract
This article investigates the effects of aerodynamic and lightweight double-deck semi-trailers on fuel consumption of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). The HGVs were evaluated using in-service data, and computer-based simulations with coefficients of aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance estimated from coast-down tests conducted on a test track. The coast-down tests showed that the aerodynamic features reduced the coefficient of aerodynamic drag by approximately 7.2% and the wide single tyres on the lightweight trailers reduced the coefficient of rolling resistance by approximately 10%. The in-service data showed that the aerodynamic features on the aerodynamic vehicles have a statistical significance on fuel consumption. Computer-based simulations showed that the aerodynamic-lightweight trailer reduces the HGV's fuel consumption by approximately 20.2% for a long-haul drive cycle. As these improvements don’t have significant barrier to implementation, which is the case with electrification of HGVs, fleet operators can employ these improvements to reduce their carbon emissions.
Relationships
Is supplemented by: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.63690
Sponsorship
Technology Strategy Board (103244)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R035199/1)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2021.102717
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/316689
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Licence URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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