Patent ID: 8371158
Filing Date: 2013-02-12
Classification: G01F,G01M

Abstract:
1. A method for determining efficiency of fuel consumption in an internal combustion engine powered vehicle, during operation of the vehicle within a site to excavate material from the site, wherein the vehicle has a base weight and material from the site loaded and unloaded on the vehicle varies a gross weight and resistive load of the vehicle, the method comprising: 1) measuring the vehicle's speed, direction of movement and elevation change every X second for a period of Y seconds during the operation of the vehicle, with use of a GPS tracking software system; 2) calculating a first work done with use of measurements obtained in step 1) and the vehicle's base weight; 3) measuring fuel consumption of the engine every second for a period of Y seconds during the operation of the vehicle and determining an average fuel consumption; 4) repeating steps 1-3 over a total test period; 5) measuring a volume of material excavated from the site over the total test period with use of a GPS image scanning software system, wherein a three-dimensional image of the site is obtained at the beginning of the test period, a three-dimensional image of the site is obtained at the conclusion of the test period and a volumetric change of the site is determined; 6) calculating a second work done with use of the volumetric change obtained in step 5) along with a density value of the material of the site; and 7) calculating fuel consumption efficiency based on a sum of the first work done and second work done over the total test period divided by the fuel consumption by the engine over the total test period.