Car Driveability Modelling: A Computer Model for the Prediction of Hesitation Under Cold Weather Accelerating Conditions

Vehicle driveability is a function of gasoline volatility, ambient conditions and engine design. The ability to predict driveability performance from a knowledge of fuel/air mixture temperatures and gasoline properties would greatly assist both fuel and engine development. Accordingly, a model to predict engine hesitation under full-throttle accelerations (a major driveabilty malfunction) has been developed.

Hesitation occurs when the fuel/air mixture reaching the combustion chambers is too lean to burn. Thus the model is based on the calculation of heat flow and air/fuel vapour ratios in the engine inlet manifold. Chassis dynamometer tests for two different cars using a range of fuels and a range of test temperatures have shown that the model gives an accurate prediction of mixture temperatures and engine hesitation under full-throttle conditions.