Environment

The research deals with how traffic contributes to air pollution in order to explain relations between emissions and different factors concerning traffic planning and to obtain knowledge of the causal relations behind the generation of emissions. Previous studies have shown how driving patterns vary in urban areas, i.e. on different types of streets; between different drivers, and between different traffic conditions, and how the design of traffic systems affects exhaust and energy use.

The research is also dealing with driver assistance systems for less fuel consumption, an area related to the research conducted within ADAS (Advanced Driver Assitance Systems).

Contact: Eva Ericsson

Acceleration advicer
The aims of this study are to evaluate whether the use of an acceleration advisor leads to fuel savings, to determine the change in traffic-related emissions and to analyze changes in driving patterns on different routes. The acceleration advisor provides advice to drivers through resistance in the accelerator pedal when they try to accelerate too rapidly. In a test carried out in the south of Sweden during autumn 2005 the acceleration advisor was installed in four postal delivery vehicles used by 20 postmen. The driving pattern parameters showed that strong acceleration was significantly reduced, which indicated that the drivers had complied with the advisor. On two of the three specific routes, the acceleration advisor had a positive effect on traffic-related emissions. In general, no significant reduction in fuel consumption was observed when driving with the acceleration advisor activated. The results are published in the conferens paper: Transport and Environment Conference (TAP) i Frankrike, 2006, and in Transportation Reseach Part D, 2009.

Co-workers: Hanna Jonasson (Posten AB), Hanna Larsson (LTH), Eva Ericsson (LTH), Imita AB
Financier: Swedish Energy Agency
Time: 2005-2008

Development of a driver support tool for reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission
The aim of the project "Optimizing route choice for lowest fuel consumption - potential effects of a new driver support tool" was to estimate the potential for reducing fuel consumption and thus the emission of CO2 through a navigation system where optimization of route choice is based on the lowest total fuel consumption (instead of the traditional shortest time or distance). The analysis was based on a large database of real traffic driving patterns connected to the street network in the city of Lund, Sweden. It was found that for 46% of trips in Lund the drivers spontaneous choice of route was not the most fuel-efficient. These trips could save, on average, 8.2% fuel by using a fuel-optimized navigation system. This corresponds to a 4% fuel reduction for all journeys in Lund. The results are published in Transportation Reseach Part C 2006.

Co-workers: Eva Ericsson, Hanna Larsson, Karin Brundell-Freij
Financier: The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA)
Time: 2004-2005

ARTEMIS - Assessment and Reliability of Transport Emission Models and Inventory Systems
The aim of the present project was to implement and evaluate the new ARTEMIS road model for Sweden's international reporting obligations on air emissions. Fleet and traffic activity data on a national level, covering all years for the period 1990-2004, were compiled and adapted to fit the indata format required by the ARTEMIS model. The model outputs for the time period 1990-2004 for greenhouse and non-greenhouse gases were compared with outputs from calculations with the national road emission model presently used in Sweden, using the same fleet and traffic activity input data as for the ARTEMIS model. Furthermore, the results from the calculations with the ARTEMIS model were compared with real-world emission data available from on-road optical remote sensing measurements. The results show a reasonable agreement between the ARTEMIS model and the national model as regards CO2-emissions, whereas for the regulated pollutants CO, HC, NOx some significant discrepanices between the two models were observed. Furthermore, there was in general a fairly good agreement between the ARTEMIS model and the on-road emission data.

Co-workers: Åke Sjödin (IVL), Martin Jerksjö (IVL), Ulf Hammarström (VTI), Mohammamed-Reza Yahva (VTI), Eva Ericsson (LTH), Hanna Larsson (LTH), Jakob Almén (AVL MTC), Charlotte Sandström (AVL MTC), Håkan Johansson (SNRA)
Financier: Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA)
Time: 2004-2008