The effect of the tractor engine rated power on diesel fuel consumption during material transport

Abstract

The authors of this paper determined in a field measurement how the change of the tractor engine power in a tractor-trailer combination affects the diesel fuel consumption related to the unit of transport output (1/tkm) and the transport performance (t/h) in the conditions of a mountainous region. Transport combinations (tractor - trailer) were compared that were formed by a tipping trailer connected to three tractors with different engine powers when passing allong a route with the gradient of 0°-5.5°. It is obvious from the results of these measurements that the diesel fuel consumption differed by up to 27% in individual combinations. The lowest specific consumption on the measured route was found in the combination with the tractor with the engine rated power of 50 kW (0.037 to 0.0771/tkm), the highest consumption with the tractor with the rated engine power of 114 kW (0.056 to 0.0931/tkm). The lowest transport performance on the measured route was found in the combination with the tractor with the engine rated power of 63 kW (19.37 t/h), the highest performance with the tractor with the rated engine power of 114 kW (43.42 t/h).