Developing Fuel Efficiency and CO2 Emission Maps of a Vehicle Engine Based on the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Approach

A vehicle interacts with the road, other vehicles, and traffic control devices in real traffic conditions. The level of traffic influences driving patterns and, consequently, this can affect the vehicle´s fuel efficiency and emissions. This study aims to develop engine maps of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for a light vehicle operating under real traffic conditions. A representative passenger vehicle of the Ecuadorian vehicle fleet, powered by gasoline, was selected for the experimental campaign that was developed on a test route designed according to real driving emission (RDE) regulation. An on-board diagnostic (OBD) device was used for recording in real-time engine and vehicle operating parameters. Moreover, CO2 emissions were estimated using the fuel rate registered from the OBD system of the vehicle This study proposed a novel methodology for developing two-dimensional contour engine maps based on OBD data.  The result showed that the vehicle engine operated in real traffic conditions with a brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of 27%, a brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of 275 g/kWh, and a carbon dioxide (CO2) energy-emission factor of 716 g/kWh. In terms of distance, the CO2 emission factor for the tested vehicle was approximately 190 g/km. Overall, this study demonstrates that the OBD approach is a potential method to be used to assess the fuel consumption and emissions of a vehicle operating under real-world traffic conditions, especially in Latin American countries, where portable emission measurement systems (PEMS) are not readily available.