Effects of leaked exhaust system on fuel consumption rate of an automobile

Abstract

Efforts on fuel consumption have since continued but still the effects of a hole on any part of the exhaust system in relation with fuel consumption rate have not been investigated. Sequel to this, the effects of leaks (with respect to the diameter and location of the leak) on the motor vehicle and its exhaust system as a whole and specifically on fuel consumption rate are investigated, and a mathematical model formulated to this effect. Four tests were conducted with two trials per test on the exhaust system at two different times: first, the effects of varying the diameter of the leak on fuel consumption rate; and second, the effects of varying the length of exhaust system at which the leak occurs on fuel consumption rate were investigated. The resulting mathematical model (called FUCON+) is a specialized model for Honda CRVs, and can predict fuel consumption rate with respect to leakage on the exhaust system. The results of the experiment showed that the rate at which fuel is consumed increases with the leakage diameter, regardless of its location on the exhaust system. It can be concluded that a leak in an exhaust system affects not only the health of its driver and passengers but also the fuel consumption rate and the engine performance. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.