Richard Barney Carlson

The Measured Impact of Vehicle Mass on Road Load Forces and Energy Consumption for a BEV, HEV, and ICE Vehicle

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy initiated a study that conducted coastdown testing and chassis dynamometer testing of three vehicles, each at multiple test weights, in an effort to determine the impact of a vehicle’s mass on road load force and energy consumption. The testing and analysis also investigated the sensitivity of the vehicle’s powertrain architecture (i.e., conventional internal combustion

On-Road and Dynamometer Evaluation of Vehicle Auxiliary Loads

Laboratory and on-road vehicle evaluation is conducted on four vehicle models to evaluate and characterize the impacts to fuel economy of real-world auxiliary loads. The four vehicle models in this study include the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Mazda 3 i-ELOOP, Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, and Honda Civic GX (CNG). Four vehicles of each model are included in this; sixteen vehicles in total. Evaluation was conducted using a chassis dynamometer over standard drive cycles as well as twelve months of on-road driving across a wide range of road and environmental conditions. The information gathered in the study serves as a baseline to quantify future improvements in auxiliary load reduction technology. The results from this study directly support automotive manufacturers in regards to potential “off-cycle” fuel economy credits as part of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations, in which credit is provided for advanced technologies in which reduction of energy consumption from vehicle auxiliary loads can be demonstrated. The observed on-road auxiliary load varied from 135 W to over 1200 W across a wide range of ambient conditions and utilization patterns. The annual average auxiliary load varied across vehicle models from 310 W to 640 W. Ambient temperature was the most predominant factor to impact auxiliary load since air conditioner (A/C) operation is prevalent at high ambient temperature and heating system operation is prevalent at cold ambient temperatures. Additionally the impact of auxiliary load on vehicle fuel economy was determined to be typically between 7.5% and 18% of the fuel consumed during onroad operation of the four vehicle models in this study. During dynamometer testing, auxiliary loads were captured from several key locations along the low-voltage bus, including the alternator output, the low-voltage battery, and select other locations dependent upon the vehicle configuration. Dynamometer testing was then conducted on both certification and custom constant-speed drive cycles at three ambient temperatures (-7 oC, 23 oC, as well as 35 oC with 850 W/m of solar emulation). This instrumentation and test methodology provides an accurate understanding of the energy use by the accessory system from these four vehicle technologies. This paper details and discusses the dynamometer and on-road evaluation results of the auxiliary load from the sixteen vehicles over the twelve month period. Introduction As part of the testing and data collection support to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA) [1], Idaho National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Intertek Center for Evaluation of Clean Energy Technology (CECET) test advanced technology vehicles in on-road fleets, on test tracks, and in laboratory settings in order to determine the real-world petroleum consumption reduction potential of various advanced vehicle technologies. One strategy for petroleum consumption reduction is to reduce the auxiliary, 12 V loads of the vehicle. This strategy has been explored in recent research [2-5] and several U.S. automotive manufacturers are also interested in developing novel methods for improved fuel economy. Vehicle auxiliary load data collection, analysis, and characterization were conducted on sixteen non-electrified vehicles as part of the AVTA on-road vehicle evaluation. This auxiliary load characterization study directly supports automotive manufacturers in regards to potential “off-cycle” fuel economy credits that are part of the U.S. CAFE regulations, in which credit is provided for advanced technologies that reduce the energy consumption from vehicle auxiliary loads. A few examples of these advanced technologies are advanced alternators, HVAC systems, active aerodynamics systems (such as movable grille shutters that close at high speeds), and lighting systems. The data collection and analysis details the auxiliary load data collected during the on-road operation of 126,000 miles of 16 non-electrified vehicles (four Volkswagen Jetta TDI, four Mazda 3 i-ELOOP, four Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, and four Honda Civic GX (CNG) vehicles). Chassis dynamometer testing was conducted on the same four vehicle models noted above, over several standard drive cycles (e.g., UDDS, HWFET, and US06) at three separate temperatures of -7 °C, 23 °C, as well as 35 °C with 850 W/m of solar emulation. Instrumentation was installed on each vehicle prior to dynamometer evaluation in order to capture 12 V power flow and energy consumption by the vehicle accessories. This was used to correlate and cross reference the on-road data collection across varying ambient conditions and temperatures. Vehicle Models Evaluated The sixteen vehicles in this study include four 2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, four 2012 Honda Civic CNG, four 2014 Mazda 3 i-ELOOP, and four 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel vehicles. The vehicles are operated on-road in document delivery courier fleets and taxi fleets in Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma. Routine maintenance is performed on the vehicles per the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.

The Electric Drive Advanced Battery (EDAB) Project: Development and Utilization of an On-Road Energy Storage System Testbed

As energy storage system (ESS) technology advances, vehicle testing in both laboratory and on-road settings is needed to characterize the performance of state-of-the-art technology and also identify areas for future improvement. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), through its support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA), is collaborating with ECOtality North America and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to conduct on-road testing of advanced ESSs for the Electric Drive Advanced Battery (EDAB) project. The project objective is to test a variety of advanced ESSs that are close to commercialization in a controlled environment that simulates usage within the intended application with the variability of on-road driving to quantify the ESS capabilities, limitations, and performance fade over cycling of the ESS. To accommodate on-road testing of a wide range of ESS size, mass, and intended applications, the EDAB testbed was constructed on a mid-sized pickup truck chassis. This truck was converted into a Series Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) which enables vehicle operation consistent with any electrified vehicle. Sophisticated software algorithms were prepared and integrated into the testbed to emulate the physical characteristics and ESS demands of the intended application during on-road operation. This emulation is vital for proper ESS operation since the testbed is larger and heavier than the vehicle for which the ESS is typically designed. On-road testing is conducted over a range of ambient temperatures and driving route types ranging from ‘stop-and-go’ city driving to constant-speed highway driving. Battery laboratory cycling with standard test procedures has been conducted throughout all phases of testing to corroborate the on-road data and accurately measure the ESS degradation. The first ESS to be tested is the Type I EV Pack manufactured by EnerDel, Inc. The ESS has a Li-ion chemistry, with a mixed-oxide cathode and amorphous hard carbon anode and a rated capacity of 70 Ah (at a C/3 rate). Due to the sealed enclosure, there is no internal thermal management system (TMS). The intended application for this ESS is for a small EV. This paper will report on current results of energy consumption, city vs. highway proportions, battery throughput, and laboratory testing results. The results illustrate the performance of the unit under test and the degradation throughout. The end-of-test criteria are 100,000 miles, three years of operation, or a 23% decrease in battery capacity, whichever occurs first.

Results from the Operational Testing of the General Electric Smart Grid Capable Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE)

The Idaho National Laboratory conducted testing and analysis of the General Electric (GE) smart grid capable electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), which was a deliverable from GE for the U.S. Department of Energy FOA-554. The Idaho National Laboratory has extensive knowledge and experience in testing advanced conductive and wireless charging systems though INL’s support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity. This document details the findings from the EVSE operational testing conducted at the Idaho National Laboratory on the GE smart grid capable EVSE. The testing conducted on the EVSE included energy efficiency testing, SAE J1772 functionality testing, abnormal conditions testing, and charging of a plug-in vehicle.