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Old 05-02-2009, 12:45 PM   #111 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ernie Rogers View Post
There is an alternative. I can do this comparison analytically. I just put the parameters for each kind of car into the program.

Here are parameters you could consider--

Gasoline engine efficiency.......30% (to the shaft, good for a Prius)
That's a good example of the sort of thing I was hoping to get away from by using an experimental method. Look at BSFC charts: your gas engine efficiency is going to be all over the place, depending on how you drive. If you just measure things over a drive cycle, you don't have to bother about calculating the differing efficiencies.

Might even want to do several different cycles for comparison: (sub)urban stop & go, freeway cruising, rural roads, etc.

Humm... Anybody on an engineering faculty? Maybe you could get a research grant...

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