Joellevitt Managementcolumn 10644178

Fuel and Power

March 1, 2006
Fuel efficiency isn't just about miles per gallon; it's about using power wisely.

Wow, $3.50 a gallon diesel. That was a shocker. Fuel economy has taken front burner in the public eye. Of course if you run a fleet it has never left the front burner. Fuel has always been the number one operating cost. At these recent prices the fuel cost approaches the labor cost for the driver!

To manage fuel there are some basic questions that you need to know the answer to:

  1. What are my total fuel purchases?
  2. Where do I purchase my fuel?
  3. What are the different prices by source?
  4. How much do I use?
  5. How much is missing?
  6. Why don't I fuel In-house?
  7. What is my fuel specification?

Simple arithmetic can show the savings: 100,000 miles per year at 6.0 mpg cost about $46,000 (not including fuel taxes). Last year it cost about $32,000.

Every 2 percent reduction in consumption is worth almost $1,000 per year per vehicle.

Thank Jimmy Carter for the basic research. Much of the data for this section is derived from materials generated from the US government's Voluntary Truck and Bus Fuel Economy Improvement Program (VTBFEIP). This program was set-up under President Carter during the last oil crisis.

This program conducted research and disseminated information from manufacturers, users and associated parties. All parties involved published their own studies on the influences of fuel consumption and the components of a fuel savings program. (Unfortunately this valuable source was cut out of the Federal budget and has been discontinued. Too bad, because with 30 additional years under their belt who knows what our efficiency would be?)

The VTBFEIP and its members commissioned excellent research into the factors of fuel consumption and thoroughly investigated fuel savings techniques and devices. We will first review the factors of fuel consumption.

Power: Fuel is consumed to generate power to turn the engine. Power is needed for four purposes:

1. It takes power to overcome inertial resistance to start the unit moving, or to accelerate the vehicle to needed speed. Power to overcome inertial resistance is determined by acceleration and gross mass. In addition to standard inertial resistance there is grade resistance. The amount of power required for long constant grades is:

HP Grade = 0.03645 * GM * G * V Where GM is gross mass, G is grade in %, and V is velocity

Note: This is a metric formula, expressed in Metric Tons, KM/HR.

2. Friction causes rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is the tendency for the unit to slow down unless engine power is applied. It is the internal resistance of the bearings, drive-train friction and the visco-elastic resistance of the tires against the pavement. The vehicle mass, road surface, and design all impact rolling resistance.

3. As the unit moves faster aerodynamic drag resistance (wind resistance) becomes the big factor. At 63 MPH wind resistance consumes 50 percent of the available power. The standard square shape (contrast truck shapes to airplanes or speed boats) requires high amounts of fuel to merely part the air. The height, width, shape and speed determine this resistance. Doubling the height or width (for the same shape) will double the wind resistance. Speed of the vehicle (or a head wind) has a major effect. Doubling the speed will increase the drag by a factor of eight.

4. Accessories include air conditioning, thermostatic fans, alternator, air compressor, power steering pump, etc. These items' use of power varies with engine speed (rather than Road speed). The total of these loads varies from 3-4HP under light conditions to a maximum of about 35HP.

The total of the four factors is the required power to do the job. The margin between the power needed and the power available is apparent for hills and acceleration. Note that the margin decreases as speed increases. Items that will impact fuel consumption will impact power. The sum of 1, 2, 3, and 4 is the minimum total power requirement.

In my next column, I'll review VTBFEIP's recommended areas to reduce fuel consumption, and we'll see if those strategies still hold up 30 years later.

Joel Levitt has trained over 6,000 maintenance leaders from over 3,000 organizations. Since 1980, he has been the president of Springfield Resources, a management consulting firm that services a variety of clients on a wide range of maintenance issues.

About the Author

Joel Levitt | President, Springfield Resources

Joel Levitt has trained more than 17,000 maintenance leaders from more than 3,000 organizations in 24 countries. He is the president of Springfield Resources, a management consulting firm that services a variety of clients on a wide range of maintenance issues www.maintenancetraining.com. He is also the designer of Laser-Focused Training, a flexible training program that provides specific targeted training on your schedule, online to one to 250 people in maintenance management, asset management and reliability.  

Sponsored Recommendations

In this on-demand webinar from the AMCS Group, discover how mobile access to maintenance data empowers fleets to make faster decisions, optimize scheduling, and generate real ...
Experts from 3M, John Ascheman and Todd Mathes, emphasize the importance of using digital inventory and billing tools like 3M™ RepairStack™ to document materials usage in detail...
Are you aware of the hidden costs lurking behind ignored maintenance? This eBook reveals how neglecting upkeep can inate repair bills, induce downtime, and harm reliability. ...
Are your KPIs driving real fleet improvement? Learn how to set smarter, data-driven benchmarks, track success like top-performing fleets, and apply proven strategies to optimize...