How speed affects energy consumption in Sweden’s passenger car fleet
About the thesis project
Transport stands for almost a quarter of total greenhouse gas emission in Europe, three-quarters of which is from road-travels. Most of this (about 45%) comes from passenger vehicles – cars and buses – and the rest (about 30%) comes from trucks carrying freight.
It is well known that aerodynamic drag, which is one of the main resistance forces on a vehicle, is proportional to the square of the speed. Therefore, speed has a significant impact on the energy consumption of a vehicle, especially at higher speeds and altering the maximum speed limits on roads will affect the energy consumption of the passenger car fleet.
The aim of this project is to exemplify, at vehicle level, and quantify, at national level, how much energy and emissions can be saved by lowering the maximum speed on the Swedish road network.
The project will include energy consumption measurements on roads with a selection of vehicles, common in the Swedish passenger car fleets.
Both electric vehicles and vehicles with combustion engines will be tested. Different scenarios should be considered, for instance variations in speed compliance.
The thesis work includes the following tasks:
- Literature and state of the art study
- Running experiments and gathering energy consumption data for a collection of vehicles
- Comparing measurements with theoretical models
- Developing model(s) for quantifying effect of maximum speed on the energy consumption of passenger cars, considering efficiency of different operating points of the engine/motor.
- Investigating the indirect effects on energy consumption, such as modal shift to/from public transports
The thesis is available for one or two students. For communication it is mandatory with English and Swedish is meritorious.
- Experience of programming and simulation· Ability to work independently and to take initiatives
- Driving license
- Educational background in the areas of vehicle engineering, energy management or a similar area
Practical information
The thesis is available for one or two students and will be carried out at the Vehicle systems and Driving simulators unit at VTI, either at the Linköping or Gothenburg office.
Questions and application
For questions and application contact
Anders Andersson - anders.andersson@vti.se
Research on future vehicles and transport systems
At VTI's Vehicle Systems and Driving Simulation (FSK) unit, we study how future vehicles and transport systems can be developed, tested and evaluated.
We combine advanced simulation, experimental testing and systems analysis to investigate complex questions in safe and realistic environments.
This is where technology, people and transport systems come together – and as a Master's thesis student, you will have the opportunity to work closely with current research.