The Effect of Gear Shifting Strategies on Vehicle Fuel Consumption and Acceleration

In recent years, the ever-increasing prices of fossil fuels and their polluting effects on the environment have resulted in ascending concern towards reducing fuel consumption and emissions of road vehicles. Besides improving vehicle powertrain systems, driving behavior also plays a crucial role in achieving these goals. The research aims to investigate the influence of gear shifting strategy of the gearbox on fuel consumption of the engine and acceleration of the car. Choosing engine speed and shifting duration as driver-controlled variables, the mathematical model representing gear shifting by a typical driver was developed. By changing these variables in reasonable intervals, optimized values for achieving minimum fuel consumption, acceleration - 0-00 miles/hr. - and dissipated power were determined. Results indicate that a reduced fuel consumption and increased acceleration was achieved by using gear shifting strategies gained from minimizing these functions.

Keywords:

Gasoline engine , Gear Shifting Strategy , Fuel Consumption , Acceleration , Optimization