Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > EcoModding Central
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 01-09-2015, 12:42 PM   #1 (permalink)
EV test pilot
 
bennelson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Posts: 4,435

Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
90 day: 334.6 mpg (US)

S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
90 day: 129.81 mpg (US)

The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
90 day: 78.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 663 Times in 388 Posts
Thermal Imaging for improving fuel economy

Hi everyone!

It's COLD here in January in Wisconsin right now! Which just gets me thinking about how to keep the 2004 Prius warm and my wife happy, as she is the primary driver.

I finally got the garage cleaned out enough to fit the car back in there, and I have a timer going to run the block heater for an hour or two before the car would be used.

I also recently got a thermal camera. I started playing around with that to take a look at the car.

For example, I noticed that after a drive that the TIRES were one of the warmest things on the car!



I also took a photo of the car after running the block heater for about 2.5 hours. Clearly the hood is the warmest thing after that



Has anyone else played around with thermal imaging for troubleshooting or improving fuel economy on cars? Let me know. More on my blog: Garages, Block Heaters, and Thermal Cameras

__________________


300mpg.org Learn how to BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAP
My YouTube Videos
  Reply With Quote
The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to bennelson For This Useful Post:
aerohead (02-26-2015), Daox (01-09-2015), dirtydave (01-09-2015), IamIan (01-11-2015), jeff88 (01-09-2015), kurzer (02-27-2015), MetroMPG (01-09-2015), niky (02-26-2015), Occasionally6 (01-10-2015), OG VX (02-26-2015), pgfpro (01-09-2015), planetaire (01-09-2015)
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 01-09-2015, 01:43 PM   #2 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,587 Times in 1,554 Posts
That is very interesting Ben. The tire temperature is unexpected IMO.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2015, 01:50 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
mikeyjd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 838

Matchbox - '93 Ford Festiva L
Team Ford
Last 3: 70.16 mpg (US)

Salamander - '99 Chrysler Concorde LXI
Team Dodge
90 day: 30.3 mpg (US)

Urquhart - '97 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 V6 3.4L DLX
Pickups
90 day: 25.81 mpg (US)

Smudge - '98 Toyota Tacoma
90 day: 40.65 mpg (US)

Calebro - '15 Renault Trafic 1.25 dci
90 day: 39.39 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,380
Thanked 209 Times in 155 Posts
It looks like we need to start using tire blankets!
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to mikeyjd For This Useful Post:
Cobb (01-10-2015)
Old 01-09-2015, 02:38 PM   #4 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 1,745

Volt, gas only - '12 Chevrolet Volt Premium
90 day: 38.02 mpg (US)

Volt, electric only - '12 Chevrolet Volt Premium
90 day: 132.26 mpg (US)

Yukon Denali Hybrid - '12 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid
90 day: 21.48 mpg (US)
Thanks: 206
Thanked 420 Times in 302 Posts
do you have snow tires? this makes me want to insulate the engine/hood more.
__________________




  Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2015, 02:39 PM   #5 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,587 Times in 1,554 Posts
He does, says so in the blog he linked.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2015, 02:39 PM   #6 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,530

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,078
Thanked 6,978 Times in 3,613 Posts
Very fun.

Clearly the tires & wheels are hot due to the massive amount of AERO DRAG you have because you forgot to put on your smooth wheel covers.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to MetroMPG For This Useful Post:
Cobb (01-10-2015), OG VX (02-26-2015)
Old 01-09-2015, 02:47 PM   #7 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Silly-Con Valley
Posts: 1,479
Thanks: 201
Thanked 262 Times in 199 Posts
If you add more air to the tires, they will flex less and generate less heat through internal friction. Their rolling resistance will also go down. Not sure if it would be enough to show on your IR photo, but could be worth testing.

-soD
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to some_other_dave For This Useful Post:
Cobb (01-10-2015)
Old 01-09-2015, 02:54 PM   #8 (permalink)
EV test pilot
 
bennelson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Posts: 4,435

Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
90 day: 334.6 mpg (US)

S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
90 day: 129.81 mpg (US)

The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
90 day: 78.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 663 Times in 388 Posts
Yes, there's snow tires on the Prius right now, on steel rims, but I don't have the hub caps on it. It got so cold and snowy right after I put the snow tires on that I didn't want to put the hub caps on over all the ice/snow/salt gunk, at least not until it warms up enough to wash the rims.

The hub caps I have are the cheapest most aerodynamic ones I could find on the clearance bin at the auto parts store last winter.

I have no idea how much heat is created in the rubber of the tires on a snow tire vs an all-season radial! I do know that the snow-tires are a softer rubber and that they keep the car on the road better.

Also, just so you know, the range of temperatures in the first photo is about 35 degrees Fahrenheit and the range of temperatures shown in the block heater photo is about 20 degrees. For example, a very bright orange in one photo may be 5 degrees, but that doesn't mean very bright orange is 5 degrees in another photo. It's relative, similar to auto-iris on a standard video camera.
__________________


300mpg.org Learn how to BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAP
My YouTube Videos
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to bennelson For This Useful Post:
aerohead (02-26-2015)
Old 01-09-2015, 08:09 PM   #9 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
oldtamiyaphile's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,510

UFI - '12 Fiat 500 Twinair
Team Turbocharged!
90 day: 40.3 mpg (US)

Jeep - '05 Jeep Wrangler Renegade
90 day: 18.09 mpg (US)

R32 - '89 Nissan Skyline

STiG - '16 Renault Trafic 140dCi Energy
90 day: 30.12 mpg (US)

Prius - '05 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 50.25 mpg (US)

Premodded - '49 Ford Freighter
90 day: 13.48 mpg (US)

F-117 - '10 Proton Arena GLSi
Pickups
Mitsubishi
90 day: 37.82 mpg (US)

Ralica - '85 Toyota Celica ST
90 day: 25.23 mpg (US)

Sx4 - '07 Suzuki Sx4
90 day: 32.21 mpg (US)

F-117 (2) - '03 Citroen Xsara VTS
90 day: 30.06 mpg (US)
Thanks: 325
Thanked 452 Times in 319 Posts
How much can one expect to pay for one of these doo-dads?
__________________






  Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2015, 08:55 PM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
redneck's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SC Lowcountry
Posts: 1,796

Geo XL1 - '94 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Boat tails and more mods
90 day: 72.22 mpg (US)

Big, Bad & Flat - '01 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT
Team Cummins
90 day: 21.13 mpg (US)
Thanks: 226
Thanked 1,353 Times in 711 Posts
Quote:
I also took a photo of the car after running the block heater for about 2.5 hours. Clearly the hood is the warmest thing after that
Clearly not enough hood insulation.

Time for a engine blanket...



>

  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to redneck For This Useful Post:
Cobb (01-10-2015)
Reply  Post New Thread


Tags
camera, flir, heat, thermal





Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com