Energy efficiency and truck fuel measurements performed with an electromagnetic brake towing trailer using a reproducible testing program simulating sloped roads at speeds up to 80 km/h

The problems of global warming and energy efficiency are well known, discussed worldwide and subject of numerous conferences and treaties. In Brazil, Government actions prioritized passenger cars, as in Program Rota 30, there are not yet comprehensive actions and programs defined for heavy commercial vehicles. Development of methodologies for fuel consumption measurement tests under real road conditions can contribute for raising truck energy efficiency. Tests on energy efficiency, emissions and fuel consumption for trucks and other heavy vehicles are held usually on stationary devices and by computer simulations. Currently there is an increasing global trend for testing on road under real test conditions. Standard SAE J1321 201202 revised 20-12-06 defines 80 km length for on road fuel consumption tests of commercial heavy vehicles. The repetitiveness is impaired due to traffic conditions on open roads. Previous works were presented by the authors related to on road truck testing’s using their own developed towing trailer with electromagnetic brake in various applications such as cooling evaluation, accelerated powertrain durability and fuel consumption. In the present work, new fuel truck consumption measurements were performed on almost plane road with speeds up to 75 km/h according to a program simulating Brazilian Central Plateau roads, with successive road sections of uphill and downhills. The maximal speeds of the Towing Trailer Prototype goes up to 80/90 km/h. The program consists of successive segments with varied electromagnetic braking levels, corresponding to varied uphill’s, alternating with segments without electromagnetic braking, that replaces the downhills. This program may be repeated anywhere on plane roads and testing grounds and can be used in future on road emissions testing’s.