Coefficient of Engine Flexibility as a Basis for the Assessment of Vehicle Tractive Performance

Abstract The paper attempts to analyze full load characteristics of over 500 combustion engines. Using statistical tools, the author determined the value of the coefficient of flexibility. Engine flexibility is the capability of the engine to adapt to varying loads. Importantly, in the investigations, the author took into account the parameters calculated in the course of the investigations on a chassis dynamometer, i.e., actual, not taken from technical specifications of brand new vehicles. Different stages of operating wear allow a better characterization of the population. Subsequent utilization of the results in tractive calculations is more reliable. The engines were divided into in six groups, depending on the type of fuel system: fuel injected gasoline and turbocharged gasoline, spark ignition LPG, naturally aspirated diesel and turbocharged diesel. However, engines running on alternative fuels are characterized with a greater flexibility than the fuel injected base engines. Conformity of flexibility of fuel injected and LPG IV generation engines have been observed, which confirms the appropriateness of engine adaptation to alternative fueling. Gasoline engine supercharging allowed a reduction of the maximum engine speed of the maximum torque, which extends the range of analyzable speeds for flexibility and consequently, the flexibility as such.