Heavy Truck Fuel Savings

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Heavy Truck Fuel Savings through the application
of Surface Wind Forecasts Case
Study/Demonstration Robert Wright Planning
Systems Incorporated 7923 Jones Branch
Drive McLean, Virginia 22102-3304 (703)
734-3446 rwright_at_plansys.com
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CONCEPT

• Weather/Wind Forecasts
• - Applied Successfully for Military
  Aircraft Ship Operations
• -- e.g., Optimum Path Aircraft Routing
  System (Air Transportation)
• -- e.g., Optimum Track Ship Routing
  (Sea Transportation)
• - Forecast Wind Fields Impact
  Routes/Scheduling -- Optimize for
• Minimum Fuel
• Similar Application for Land Transportation
• Commercial Heavy Trucking Operations - Long
  Haul
• - Determine Optimum (Minimum Fuel)
  Schedule/Route Based On
• Route Forecast Surface Winds (head/tail and
  cross)
• Truck Highway Speed
• Aerodynamic Drag (truck /trailer type and
  configuration )

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CONCEPT

• Application when Forecast Surface Winds
• - Strong (significant impact on fuel
  consumption)
• - Change in Time (significant change in
  fuel consumption)
• - Verify (reliable prediction of fuel
  consumption change)
• Long Haul Trucking Operations
• Flexibility Fuel
  Savings
• - Departure Scheduling
• -- Take Advantage of Periods of
  Predicted Minimum Fuel Consumption
• -- Avoid Periods of Predicted Maximum
  Fuel Consumption
• - Route Selection
• -- Take Advantage of Routes with
  Predicted Minimum Fuel Consumption
• -- Avoid Routes with Predicted Maximum
  Fuel Consumption
• -- Applicable for Longer,
  Cross-Country Routes use Longer Lead-Time
  Forecasts

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DEMONSTRATION Fuel Consumption versus Departure
Time
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DEMONSTRATION Fuel Consumption versus Departure
Time

• Representative Drive Model
• - Average Highway Speed 67 MPH
• - Total Time 10 Hours
• -- 4 Drive Segments
• 2 Hours (134.1 Miles)
• 1 Hour 40 Minutes (111.8 Miles)
• 2 Hours (134.1 Miles)
• 1 Hour 40 Minutes (111.8 Miles)
• -- 3 Intervening Rest Periods
• 40 Minutes, 1 Hour, 1 Hour
• Head/Tail Wind Forecast Synchronized
• with Truck Location/Time
• - Time-Phased Integration of Drive Model
  and
• Forecast Wind Fields

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NOAA NWS Daily Weather Map, 05 April 1999/1200Z
Interstate-80 Cheyenne to Omaha
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NOAA NWS Daily Weather Map, 06 April 1999/1200Z
Interstate-80 Cheyenne to Omaha
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MM5 Analysis 05 Apr 99/0600Z
Cheyenne to Omaha
Truck Vector 67 MPH
MM5 Grid Line
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MM5 Forecast 05 Apr 99/1200Z
Cheyenne to Omaha
Truck Vector 67 MPH
MM5 Grid Line
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MM5 Forecast 05 Apr 99/1800Z
Cheyenne to Omaha
Truck Vector 67 MPH
MM5 Grid Line
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MM5 Forecast 06 Apr 99/0000Z
Cheyenne to Omaha
Truck Vector 67 MPH
MM5 Grid Line
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MM5 Forecast 06 Apr 99/0600Z
Cheyenne to Omaha
Truck Vector 67 MPH
MM5 Grid Line
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Route Segment Head(-)/Tail() Winds Cheyenne to
Omaha
At Indicated Time
Time-Phased with Drive Model
Truck
Departs at Indicated Time
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Route Segment Head(-)/Tail() Winds Cheyenne to
Omaha
At Indicated Time
Time-Phased with Drive Model
Truck
Departs at Indicated Time
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Horsepower Contributions
Horsepower Required to Overcome Aerodynamic Drag
and Rolling Friction/Accessories Class 8
Tractor-Trailer 80,000 Pounds

• Assumptions
• Cross-Wind Does
• Not Affect
• CD
• Rolling Friction

Courtesy/Permission Professor Fred
Browand University of Southern California, Los
Angeles DOE Heavy Vehicle Aerodynamic Drag
Project from A Multi-Year Program Plan for the
Aerodynamic Design of Heavy Vehicles
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Relative Wind Fuel Consumption
Fuel Consumption to Overcome Aerodynamic Drag and
Rolling Friction/Accessories Class 8
Tractor-Trailer 80,000 Pounds CD 0.6
Highway Speed 67 MPH
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Total Fuel Consumed versus Departure Time
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Operational Implementation

• National Centers for Environmental Prediction
  Model
• Forecast Surface Wind Fields
• - NOAAPORT NWS Telecommunication Gateway
  
• - Eta, Nested Grid Model, Rapid Update Cycle
• Compute Fuel Consumption as a Function of
  Possible
• - Truck Types/Configurations, Routes,
  Departure Times
• Fuel Consumption Departure Time
• - Additional Parameters for Load
  Optimization/Scheduling Programs
• - For Dispatcher Wind Optimization Feature
  ON or OFF
• For Independent Truckers/Small Trucking
  Companies
• - Internet Web Site
• - Select Truck Type/Configuration, Route,
  Average Speed
• - Display Total Fuel Consumption versus
  Departure Time

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Potential Fuel Savings - Complete Study Required

• Midwest/Great Plains Interstate Highway Routes

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Potential Fuel Savings - Study Design/Parameters

• Fall-through-Spring Period(s)
• Surface Wind Analyses e.g., FSL Hourly, 40-Km
  Rapid Update Cycle
• Model/Adjust Surface Winds to Truck Height
• Interpolate Surface Winds to Interstate Highway
  Routes
• Accurate Fuel Consumption Model Include
  Cross-Wind Effects
• - Rolling Friction Drag Coefficient
• Tailor to Long Haul Centrally Dispatched
  Trucking Operations
• - Type of Trucks/Configurations (drag
  coefficients)
• - Route Traffic Density (typical number of
  trucks scheduled by route)
• - Daily Departure Times (typical number of
  departures by time-of-day)
• - Scheduling Flexibility (allowable change
  versus lead-time)
• Metric Total Fuel Saved versus Change in
  Departure Time