| Abstract | A considerable amount of work and consideration has been given, by the writer, to the problems associated with improving the overall efficiency of propulsion in road transportation vehicles. The contents are therefore not entirely the result of accelerated research due to the present fuel situation. The fact that the finite reserve of conventional fuels has invaded public awareness, may provide an environment which is more amenable to some re-orientation of convenience in the area of transportation.
There are three main reasons for the poor economy of the bus and automobile:
(a) The prime mover rarely runs at the load for optimum SFC.
(b) In urban driving, as much as 25% of the shaft horsepower is absorbed by inertia and dissipated in brake heat and engine braking friction.
(c) The gasoline engine may under reasonably optimized conditions, be operated with a BSFC of some 0.55 lb/bhp/H. However, the diesel similarly treated may be expected to consume 0.35 lbs/bhp/H over a wider range of speeds and loads. |
|---|
