Abstract |
This report uses the dynamometer power absorption information from the EPA technical support report 'Light Duty Vehicle Road Load Determination' (December 1976) to develop equations for predicting the small twin roll dynamometer power absorption necessary to simulate the road load of vehicles. The equations are developed by proposing model equations to predict the dynamometer power absorption, first based on vehicle weight, and then based on the vehicle reference frontal area. The reference vehicle frontal area based prediction system is then improved by separating vehicles into different classes and by including estimations of the effects of the total frontal area of the vehicle protuberances. It is concluded that the errors associated with this prediction system are twenty percent less than the errors associated with a prediction system based on the vehicle weight only. |