Project: acceleration and braking performance

Given: the road test article and engine curves of your vehicle on Ufora.
The vehicle drives on an asphalt road, without any wind. Two persons of 75 kg are sitting in
the vehicle, carrying 55 kg of luggage. The fuel tank is half-full (gasoline density is 0.76 kg/l, diesel
density is 0.86 kg/l ).
Your report should mention how the calculations have been performed and which assumptions
or simplifications you made. Clearly explain the results and identify and explain the differences
between your calculations and the real world (e.g. road test). It must be limited to maximum 15
pages, tables are not required. You may provide your calculations or tables in an additional Python,
Matlab, Maple, Excel or other file, but the report should stand on its own. The calculations may
be checked in case of doubt.
Some data might be missing from the road test or the databases. When required, an educated
guess can be made or, when possible, the information can be taken from other articles or websites.
Please always provide an explanation or source. For tire and wheel weights, you can start your
search on the following websites: tiresize.com, andysautosport.com, wheel-size.com.

Acceleration
1. Calculate the tractive force Fd as a function of the vehicle speed v, from 1000 rpm until
maximum engine speed nmax . Do this for the different gears, based on the given polynomials
for the engine power. Plot Fd (v) in a graph. Remarks:

• If the maximum engine speed is not given in the article and you cannot find it online,
set nmax = nPmax + 300 rpm.
• Use moderate mechanical efficiencies (e.g. 90%).
• Assume a constant dynamic wheel radius rdyn that is 2% smaller than the undeformed
tire radius.
• DCT-transmissions can have different final drive ratios for different gears, pay attention
to this.

Plot the sawtooth-diagram and determine the decrease in engine speed on up-shifts.

2. Add the maximum power Pmax (v) to the graph of Fd (v).

• Normal rolling resistance, which is 50% higher at 180 km/h than at 0 km/h. Normal
aerodynamic drag (SCx ) can be determined from the given maximum speed in the road
test (compare with the given SCx if possible). If the maximum speed is electronically
limited, calculate the unlimited maximum speed based on the given SCx .
• Decrease the rolling resistance coefficient froll with 20% and keep the normal aerody-
namic drag.
• Keep the normal rolling resistance and decrease the aerodynamic drag coefficient SCx
with 20%.

Plot also the rolling resistance and the aerodynamic drag. What is the most efficient method
to decrease the resistance? How much would these improvements influence the fuel consump-
tion?

4. Calculate the moments of inertia in every gear (see paragraph 3.2.4):

1
 • You can use the following approximation to determine the moment of inertia for the
engine (Je ): the time ∆t to accelerate the engine from nmin +500 rpm to nmax −500 rpm
is given by ∆t = 24.1/Pavg (kW ), where Pavg is the average power over the used rpm-
range. In addition ϵTavg = Je dω/dt ≈ Je ∆ω/∆t with ϵ = 0.98 and Tavg the average
torque over the used rpm-range.
• To determine the moment of inertia of the wheels (Jw ), you can assume that the total
wheelmass mw rotates with a radius of gyration rg = (2rdyn + d)/4 where d is the rim
diameter. Jw becomes: Jw = 4mw rg2 .
• Look up (or estimate) the mass of the wheel and the tire and make sure to include your
reference.
• The moment of inertia of the gearbox and clutch may be neglected.
5. Calculate the maximum acceleration a = d2 x/dt2 as a function of speed for every gear and
for the complete engine speed range. Give the minimum coefficient of friction to prevent
spinning of the wheels (to first order: use the static load on the driven axle).
6. Calculate and plot acceleration, speed and distance traveled as a function of time on a graph,
from 0 to 90% of the maximum speed, using full power. When the car starts from standstill,
the clutch has a slipping phase: assume that the clutch allows to use the torque at 3000 rpm
(gasoline ICE) or 2000 rpm (diesel ICE), from standstill until that engine speed is reached
by the drivetrain. Give the optimal gearshift moments, assume a gearshift time of 0.5 s or
use the given one if possible.
7. Determine the time to accelerate the vehicle from 0 − 100 km/h and compare to the vehicle
test. Do the same for the 1000 m from standstill.

Braking
8. Calculate the dynamic axle loads on a flat road as a function of deceleration. Neglect aero-
dynamic drag and rolling resistance. Use h = 0.38hcar + 12 mm as the height of the center
of gravity of the vehicle, with hcar the height of the unloaded car.
9. Calculate the ideal brake force for the front and rear axles as a function of deceleration and
plot on the same graph as the dynamic axle loads.
10. Choose a decent brake force distribution. Plot the rear brake force as a function of the front
brake force, together with the ideal brake force distribution. Discuss which axle is overbraked
in different locations of the graph and motivate why you chose this distribution.
11. Calculate the efficiency of your brake force distribution and plot it.
12. Assume you brake the vehicle from 150 km/h (or the maximum speed if lower) to stand-
still with your brake force distribution, without locking the wheels and with a brake force
coefficient µb = 0.85. Calculate:
• deceleration,
• braking distance,
• braking time,
• dissipated braking energy,
• initial and average braking power.
Do this for two different cases:
• neglect rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag,
• include rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag.
Compare the results of the two cases.