SUPERIOR LUBRICANTS
Global Energy Consumption Due To Friction In Passenger Cars
Kenneth Homberg , Peter Anderssona, Ali Erdemirba
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT,
Finland Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division,
9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
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Highlights
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In passenger cars 1/3 of the fuel is used to overcome friction.
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Worldwide 208,000 million liters fuel was used 2009 to overcome car friction.
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Reduced friction leads to threefold improvement impact in fuel economy.
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Tribology can save 117,000 million liters fuel and 290 million t/a CO2 emission.
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Friction losses in electric car are half those of IC passenger car.
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This study presents calculations on the global fuel energy consumption used to overcome friction in passenger cars in terms of friction in the engine, transmission, tires, and brakes. Friction in tribocontacts was estimated according to prevailing contact mechanisms such as elastohydrodynamic, hydrodynamic, mixed, and boundary lubrication. Coefficients of friction in the tribocontacts were estimated based on available information in the literature on the average passenger car in use today, a car with today’s advanced commercial tribological technology, a car with today’s best advanced technology based upon recent research and development, and a car with the best technology forecasted in the next 10 years. The following conclusions were reached:
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In passenger cars, one-third of the fuel energy is used to overcome friction in the engine, transmission, tires, and brakes. The direct frictional losses, with braking friction excluded, are 28% of the fuel energy. In total, 21.5% of the fuel energy is used to move the car.
In passenger cars, one-third of the fuel energy is used to overcome friction in the engine, transmission, tires, and brakes. The direct frictional losses, with braking friction excluded, are 28% of the fuel energy. In total, 21.5% of the fuel energy is used to move the car.
Worldwide, 208,000 million liters of fuel (gasoline and diesel) was used in 2009 to overcome friction in passenger cars. This equals 360 million tonne oil equivalent per year (Mtoe/a) or 7.3 million TJ/a. Reductions in frictional losses will lead to a threefold improvement in fuel economy as it will reduce both the exhaust and cooling losses also at the same ratio.
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Globally, one passenger car uses on average of 340 l of fuel per year to overcome friction, which would cost 510 euros according to the average European gas price in 2011 and corresponds to an average driving distance of 13,000 km/a.
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By taking advantage of new technology for friction reduction in passenger cars, friction losses could be reduced by 18% in the short term (5–10 years) and by 61% in the long term (15–25 years). This would equal worldwide economic savings of 174,000 million euros and 576,000 million euros, respectively; fuel savings of 117,000 million and 385,000 million liters, respectively; and CO2 emission reduction of 290 million and 960 million tonnes, respectively.
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The friction-related energy losses in an electric car are estimated to be only about half those of an internal combustion passenger car.
Potential actions to reduce friction in passenger cars include the use of advanced coatings and surface texturing technology on engine and transmission components, new low-viscosity and low-shear lubricants and additives, and tire designs that reduce rolling friction.