TRANSPORT CONCEPT
INNOVATION FOR THE FUTURE,THE FUTURE IS HERE
Iveco S.p.A.Via Puglia, 3510156 Torino - Italywww.iveco.com
Publication IST.082112 - May 2008
The data contained in this publication are purelyindicative and not binding
The idea of vehicle manufacturers building concept vehicles is not new;often these serve to illustrate to the public future trends in vehicle designor applicable technologies.
The Iveco Transport Concept is the vehicle with which Iveco realises itsview of the future of road transport in the near to medium term.
There are three key areas in which this future is portrayed by Transport Concept;• The integration of road transport with other modes,• The efficiency of road transport in terms of goods moved as a
function of fuel used,• Accident avoidance by means of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
(ADAS).
Because Transport Concept addresses the near to medium term futurerather than a ‘blue sky’ scenario, the systems and concepts portrayed areexceedingly relevant to road transport issues currently experiencedtoday.
The future starts here
FUT
UR
E
INTEGRATION Integrated transport guaranteed
Freight transport results from economic activity.Society must resolve the difficulties standing in the wayof multi modal transport solutions.
Europe’s roads are becoming ever morecongested. Road transport shares road spacewith other road users and the costs toindustry of road congestion are very high.Transport of goods is a necessary part ofbusiness and societal activity and as allcountries strive for economic growth thenthe need to transport goods increases.The resolution to this seemingly insolvableproblem is complex and involves political andsocietal considerations.What is certain is that Governments must domore to improve the road infrastructure butthis alone will not address the roadcongestion problem, taking into accountprojected future freight movements.
Compared to other modes of goodstransport, rail freight and inland waterway orcoastal shipping, for example, road transportis able to boast incredible flexibility, not beingsubject to a rigid time table, for example, evenif it is not always the most energy efficient interms of goods moved as a function of energyconsumed under certain transport missions.
In order to improves the effectiveness ofmoving Europe’s goods by road, it will benecessary to address some development ofthe maximum permitted mass and dimensionsof road vehicles laid down in EU Directive96/53/EC.
FREIGHT TRANSPORT - DEMAND LEDOn the one hand, wide scale application ofthe European Modular System (EMS) favouredin Scandinavian countries could be promotedfor international application throughoutEurope. Such an approach, allowing roadvehicles to operate up to 25.25m in lengthand up to a total mass of 60t, would posesome difficulties due to the lack of anappropriate road and freight interchangeinfrastructure.An alternative strategy, focusing on a modestincrease in the maximum permitted length ofarticulated vehicle combinations to permit anincreased integration of road transportvehicles with other transport modes.It is important to recognise that road
transport is not in competition with othertransport modes, rather it should play itspart in contributing to a multi-modaltransport system.
It is well understood that the energy cost tomove goods by road in terms of energyconsumed per tonne.kilometre reduces as thevehicle mass increases because the payloadtransported increases as a fraction of thetotal vehicle mass, an aspect exploited bytransport by rail and some increase in totalvehicle mass is probably inevitable.
ISO Container transport is a classic exampleof inter-modal transport existing betweencontinents and often involving all of the abovetransport modes. However, current Europeanregulations relating to the maximumdimensions of international road transportoperation permit only the transport by roadof 20’ (6.058 m) and 40’ (12.192 m)containers. Other containers of 45’ (13.716m) and 48’ (14.630 m) are only transportableby water and rail transport. Given thatcontainer transport costs often relate to thecontainer as a unit rather than its size, thereis a desire to shift to the larger containers.
For short transport distances, the use ofEuro-pallets is quite popular. Euro-pallets havea plan area of 800 x 1200 mm and, of theavailable transport configurations, i.e. truck-trailers and articulated combinations, thecurrent European regulations relating tonational and international road transportoperation favour road trains in terms ofvolumetric capacity yet the articulatedcombination represents the configurationmore compatible with other road users,especially for those transport operationsinvolving retail distribution, supermarketdeliveries, for example.
ISO CONTAINERS:THE KEY TO INTERMODALITYTransport Concept proposes a modest revision to theEuropean regulations applicable to national andinternational road transport operations.An increase in thelength of the semi-trailer of only 1.5m would allow thetransport of ISO containers up to 48’ and would increasethe number of Euro-pallets transportable by an articulatedcombination virtually to that of a truck-trailer.
In parallel, an increase in the maximum operating mass ofarticulated combinations from 40t on five axles today to44t and 48t on six axles.These changes would beundetectable by other road users and the resultantvehicles would not see a deterioration in manoeuvrabilityor on-road stability.
For more detailssee separate fact sheet www.iveco.com
Modest revisions to theEuropean Directive onMasses and Dimensionswould dramaticallyimprove intermodality of freight transport.
AERODYNAMICS Revolution in evolution
Reduces energy consumption and hence transportcosts - environmentally and fiscally.
For more detailssee separate fact sheet www.iveco.com
REDUCING ENERGY LOSSESThe use of energy and the consequentialemission of CO2 by road transport is ofmajor concern to us all. Basic laws ofthermodynamics limit the efficiency of theDiesel engine and efficiency improvements tocurrent engines for heavy road transportvehicles will be quite small. However, asignificant amount of energy is used toovercome various resistances such as thoseassociated with tyre rolling and vehicleaerodynamics.
It is well understood that much can be doneto reduce aerodynamic losses for commercialvehicles and today most tractors use an airdeflector to improve the integration betweenthe cab and the semitrailer, for example.Aerodynamic losses become very significant athigh road speeds and Transport Conceptaddresses this issue using an inflatable tractor /semitrailer gap filler to eliminate theinterrupted air flow and a further applicationof the inflatable spoiler is used at the rear ofthe semitrailer to improve the air managementand hence drag of the slipstream.
The use of super-wide tyres rather than themore usual twin tyres for the drive axle offers asignificant reduction in rolling resistance.This isbecause the energy dissipated during tyre walldeflection is almost halved – four walls ratherthan eight, two contact patches rather than fourfor each axle.The challenge is to findappropriate savings by reducing losses which donot impose restrictions on tractor / semitrailerconnectivity.The measures taken for TransportConcept are readily applicable to standardtractors and semitrailers and so meet thisrequirement.
ADAS Advanced Driver Assistance Systems:more control, more safety
Providing driverassistance to activelyhelp the driver toavoid road accidents.
ADVANCED DRIVING SKILLSThe number of heavy commercial vehicles inoperation within the EU is very lowcompared to the number of cars and lightcommercial vehicles in circulation (5.5 millioncompared to 241 million,ACEA 2005). In thecase of a road accident, death or seriousinjury resulting from a collision involving aheavy commercial vehicle is more likely dueto its size and mass compared to other roadusers’ vehicles. Modern road vehicles inthemselves are very safe; only vary rarelydoes an accident occur resulting from a failedmechanical or electrical component.
It is generally agreed that the cause of themajority of road accidents occur due to drivererror. Whether this is due to behaviour,competence, tiredness or simple error ofjudgement is not quantified but this has lead tothe creation of Advanced Driver AssistanceSystems (ADAS) for accident avoidance.
By now well known systems such as Anti-lockBraking Systems (ABS), where the directionalstability of the vehicle is assured underbraking, are typical of such ADASenhancements.
Accidentology data has directed researchactivity to provide driver assistance in the areassuggested by the above described systems.Under all circumstances the driver remains incontrol of the vehicle. It is the intention of theADAS enhancements to alert the driver ofimpending danger and to allow the driver totake the necessary action.
For more detailssee separate fact sheet www.iveco.com
In summary,Transport Concept provides a test bed used to evaluate and
finely tune future technologies and to evaluate these, also to demonstrate
their function when required to do so. In the field of masses and
dimensions,Transport Concept has served to demonstrate the suitability
of a modest increase in overall length to dramatically improve the
intermodality of goods transport by the on-road component.
All aspects demonstrated by Transport Concept are applicable for
implementation in the short to medium future.
Transport solutions brought to you by Transport Concept
SOLU
TIO
NS
INT
EGR
ATIO
NThe potential for road transport to integrate better can be achieved by modest changes to maximumpermitted vehicle dimensions while equally modest changes to maximum permitted vehicle mass can play animportant part in improving energy efficiency and reducing the number of vehicles required to transportEurope’s freight.
Vehicle Masses and Dimensions
European Council Directive 96/53/EClays down maximum dimensions forboth national and internationaltransport and maximum mass forinternational transport within theEuropean Union.In addition, the Directive lays downmanoeuvrability requirementsapplicable to vehicles and their trailers.The volumetric capacity of truck /trailer combinations exceeds that ofarticulated combinations by 11%.
ISO Container Review
Extensively used for shipping, allowing rapid transit through ports, ISO containers provide an excellent meansby which inter-modal freight can be handled without unloading and repacking. Generally, larger containers arepreferred by packers because charges tend to be based on a ‘per container’ basis.The following table showscontainer application for road vehicles.
Maximum permitted mass = 40t
N.B.• 4,0m overall height is the minimum of the EU Member States permitted heights.• Drawbar lengths:
a+b ≤ 15.65ma+b+c ≤ 16.40m
ISOContainer
Length(m)
Height (m)(Standard)
Height (m)Hi-cube
Gross mass(t)
Width(m)
SuitabilityDraw-bar
Artic
20 ft 6.10 2.44 2.59 2.89 24.00 1+1 2
30 ft 9.10 2.44 2.59 2.89 25.00 - 1
40 ft 12.20 2.44 2.59 2.89 25.00 1
45 ft 13.70 2.44 - 2.89 25.00 -
48 ft 14.60 2.44 / 2.59 - 2.89 25.00 - -
a
b b
-
-
OK Partially feasibleNot international
Not feasibleNote:a – Subject to overall heightb – Containers below rated mass
Euro pallet configuration
Euro pallets are the preferred means ofgoods containment for retail distribution.Pallet plan area is 800 mm x 1200 mm.
Transport Concept ProposalDimensions
A modest increase in length of the semi-trailer by 1.5m to provide increasedinter-modal use of containers and animproved capacity for euro pallet loading.
Transport Concept ProposalOperating Mass
A modest increase in operating mass of both 5 and 6 axle combinations will enable a worthwhile improvement in energy utilisation.
INT
EGR
ATIO
NArticulated combination
Draw-bar combination
Maximum permitted mass = 48 t
Existing 96/53/EC Axle Loads
Maximum permitted mass = 44 t
AER
OD
YN
AM
ICS
The power required to move a modern commercial vehicle along the road is quite modest.Ascending a gradient and acceleration pose greater power demands, however.In the example shown, an articulated combination of 44t operating mass and driven at a constant speed of 85km/h gives the power loss attributable to the four key areas.While transmission and auxiliary losses can beaddressed, the greatest opportunity clearly lies in the area of vehicle aerodynamics and tyre equipment.
Studying the aerodynamic effects of the gap between the tractor and semitrailer.Transport Concept uses aninnovative inflatable filler system to close the gap. Such a system is applicable to many semitrailer types anddoes not impede coupling and decoupling of the semitrailer.
Similarly, an inflatable spoiler applied to the topand sides of the semitrailer rear door providesa managed slipstream to reduce aerodynamicdrag.
7 Transmission
8 Auxiliaries
40 Aerodynamics
45 Tyres
AER
OD
YN
AM
ICS
Compared to twin 315/70R22.5 tyres for thedrive axle,Transport Concept uses super wide495/45R22.5 drive axle tyres and reduces therolling resistance by up to 4%
Application of tractor and semitrailer side skirtsand a profiled under floor of the semitrailercontribute to a highly managed airflow beneathand around the vehicle.
MOBILE SPOILERto close the GAP cab-semitrailer(to be effective with side wind)
1.5 %) (
2 %)Tractor complete SIDESKIRTS+ chassis rear closure
Optimized roof+ cabin kit2 %
( Optimized DAM(with minimized
ground clearance)2,5 %
REAR MOBILE SPOILER(inflatable solution) 5 % )
OPTIMIZED FLOORto guide the flux in combination with REAR DIFFUSER ( Semitrailer complete
SIDESKIRTSwith AIR INTAKE
6 %3 %)The results of the analysis, realised into Transport Concept, show significant improvements to the power lossdue to aerodynamic drag, results that manifest themselves into energy and hence fuel consumption savings.
AD
AS
Transport Concept is equipped with ADAS enhancements, some of which are now regularly requested bycustomers of new vehicles.ADAS features included are:
Collision Warning
To develop a Forward Collision Warningsystem, able to warn the driver when thevehicle is approaching a dangerousobstacle in order to avoid the collision.The scenario in front of the vehicle isdetected by means of a sensor-setcomposed of Long Range Radar andfront looking camera.The front scenariois analysed in order to detect obstaclesapproaching in the vehicle path, thusbearing a collision risk.When an obstacleis detected, the system can provide aCollision Warning, i.e. a visual/acousticwarning and also a haptical warning.
Adaptive Cruise Control withbraking activation
Cruise control is used by the driver tomaintain a specific road speed withoutthe need to use the accelerator.The cruise control may be manuallycancelled or by emergency measures i.e.by application of the foot brake or clutchpedal if present. However, in the eventthat the vehicle under cruise controlconditions becomes too close to thevehicle directly ahead, forward lookingradar devices will cause the vehicle toslow down by modulating the enginepower or even by applying the enginebrake, retarder (if fitted) and then thefoundation brakes in order to maintainthe correct distance from the vehicleahead. In this case, cruise control is not cancelled and the vehicle willaccelerate to its target speed when road conditions permit.
ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
Consists of sensors capable of comparingactual vehicle direction with that desiredby the driver based on steering wheelinput (yaw control) and tendency tooverturn (roll control). Control is byselective engine torque modulation andselective wheel brake application in orderto correct vehicle instability.
AD
AS
Lane Warning (acoustic)
Vehicle based cameras scan the road andprovide an acoustic warning to the drivershould the vehicle wander across theroad lane delimiting markers in theabsence of making a direction changeindication.
Active Lane Assistant (Haptic feedback)
Starting from Lane Warning contents, thesystem suggests the corrective actionwhen the vehicle is unintentionallyapproaching the edge of the lane.This is done by giving a smooth reactiontorque on the steering wheel, in order todrive back the vehicle toward the centerof the lane.
Lane Change Assistant
Side facing cameras indicate to the driverby means of an acoustic warning shouldthe driver attempt to change lane in thepresence of another road user.
Front Vehicle Monitoring
A vehicle based camera provides theindirect vision requirement of a Class VImirror and the image is displayed on anin-cab monitor.The image is visible onlyfor road speeds from 0 – 30 km/h.
IntegratedCamera
Front Cameracoverage
Blind SpotWarning icon