Design of a Daily-User Methodology to Detect Fuel Consumption in Cars with Spark Ignition Engine

Skrúcaný, Tomáš; Stopková, Mária; Stopka, Ondřej; Milojević, Saša · 2020 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.18485/aeletters.2020.5.3.2

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Summary

This study addresses the challenge of accurately measuring fuel consumption in passenger cars with spark ignition (SI) engines for daily users. While fuel consumption is a critical indicator of vehicle economy and technical condition, standard manufacturer data and common user methods often fail to account for real-world variables and measurement deviations. The authors aim to identify the most reliable and convenient methodology for detecting fuel consumption under normal driving conditions, disregarding complex laboratory technologies in favor of accessible tools. The experimental design utilized an Audi S5 SI engine across four distinct routes varying in length (3.9 km to 61.7 km), speed limits, intersection density, and city-to-highway ratios. To ensure precision, the researchers first quantified potential measurement errors, including the maximum permissible error of fuel pumps (+/- 0.5%) and deviations caused by the automatic switch-off of the fuel pump pistol, which averaged 0.9055 liters. Three detection methods were compared: manual quantification, data subtraction from the vehicle’s on-board computer (PC), and data collection via a smartphone application connected to the OBD port. Each route was tested under three driving techniques—economical, standard, and dynamic—with multiple repetitions to mitigate anomalies such as fuel foaming and air bubbles in the tank. The results revealed significant inaccuracies in fuel consumption detection, particularly on shorter routes. The first experiment, which involved refilling after the pump pistol switched off, showed substantial deviations due to fuel overflow and foaming, with errors magnified on the 3.9 km circuit. In contrast, the second experiment, which standardized refilling to a specific visual point near the tank lid, yielded more consistent results. The on-board computer demonstrated higher accuracy with a deviation of 8.26% when accounting for pump inaccuracies, while the OBD smartphone application showed an average deviation of 4.26% from estimated consumption. The study found that the discrepancy between the calculated consumption and the smartphone application was approximately 5.23% when adjusting for pump pistol switch-off differences. The significance of this research lies in its provision of a practical, validated methodology for daily users to monitor fuel consumption reliably. The findings highlight that short-distance measurements are prone to significant errors due to physical factors like fuel foaming and pump mechanics. By identifying the on-board computer and OBD applications as viable tools and establishing correction factors for pump deviations, the study offers a framework for more accurate self-monitoring of vehicle efficiency. This approach allows users to bypass the limitations of theoretical manufacturer data and gain precise insights into their vehicle's actual performance under varying driving conditions.

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