The SINTEF scientists obtained access to invaluable data, and are now able to see into the very “brain” of a car and measure such things as how much energy is consumed in propulsion and climate control. (Credit: Flickr @ Edvvc http://www.flickr.com/photos/edvvc/)Last year, the Nissan Group allowed the largest Norwegian research organization, SINTEF, to carry out direct logging of data from its “Leaf” cars. Should other car manufacturers follow, the transport industry will have a new tool that will help it become more efficient.
“We obtained access to invaluable data, and are now able to see into the very “brain” of a car and measure such things as how much energy is consumed in propulsion and climate control, and how much is generated during braking,” Astrid Bjørgen Sund and Tomas Levin at SINTEF Technology and Society explain.
Researchers call this “smart data capture”. Obtaining data from a car’s existing sensors is a method which the department is now employing in a number of projects.
The scientists equip drivers and vehicles participating in the projects with smartphones or web tablets which enable them to collect valuable data for use in research.
“Modern vehicles represent a goldmine of information about how cars are used and the infrastructure they utilize. If cars were able to Tweet everything they know, we could tackle many exciting challenges,” says Tomas Levin.
“We are still looking into the same problems as before in the field of transport, but smart data capture provides a completely new source of precise data,” says Bjørgen Sund. “We can identify problems covering larger geographical areas and with sufficient data we can provide a better foundation for the major transport-related decisions which must be made.”
An example the researchers cite is European Route E39 between Trondheim and Kristiansand, which is currently being planned. Here, fuel and energy consumption will be strongly influenced by the design of the road, with its curves, ascents and descents, toll stations and tunnels, and what sort of terrain it passes through.
In connection with major projects of this sort, researchers normally base their calculations on average figures from Europe. Using smart data capture based on real-time data, they are now able to carry out more realistic calculations.
“We believe, for example, that it is difficult to predict energy consumption on twisting Norwegian roads based on European average figures,” says Levin. “So in order to perform calculations for the new E39 we select existing road sections which resemble the new one and carry out our measurements on these.”
The construction of some stretches of European Routes E18 and E6, for example, is similar to that planned for the projected E39. The researchers divide the road network up into small, homogeneous sections of around 200 metres, carrying out measurements at least once per second.
In research circles there is debate about whether traffic flow or high velocities have most effect on energy consumption. This method uses direct measurements to make it possible to document actual effects, rather than relying on assumptions. This can provide a more objective basis for decision-making.
Original article by Åse Dragland.
