ESTIMACIÓN DE LA REDUCCIÓN DEL CONSUMO DE COMBUSTIBLE EN VEHÍCULOS COMO CONSECUENCIA DE LA REDUCCIÓN DEL PESO

Abstract

The automotive sector, given the need to reduce energy demand and environmental impact of vehicles, needs to reduce the weight of vehicles. Lightweighting strategy to implement is based on the massive use of plastics and composites, which are lighter than steel and alloys. Use of plastics and composites will significantly reduce emissions during the use stage In that phase energy demand is about 85% of the total energy required during the life cycle of the vehicle. However, it should be assessed whether the improvements are not offset in other stages of the life of the product, in which steels and alloys may have less environmental impact than plastics and composites. In order to work out the fuel savings achieved during the use stage of the vehicle due to the weight reduction, several mathematical models can be used during the design phase. The study of those models will let us know the design parameters that must be considered in order to successfully apply the lightweighting strategy. Keywords: fuel consumption; reinforced plastic; lightweighting; eco-design