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Highway Mileage vs Type of Road

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by jsfabb, Mar 18, 2013.

  1. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    I have noticed that the type of highway affects the mileage I get commuting back and forth to work. Here on Long Island it's pretty flat, especially if I take the Southern State Pkwy (SSP)/Sunrise Hwy to work. Coming home I notice a big difference when I get to a certain section of Sunrise Hwy with about 8 miles to on that highway.

    The concrete pavement seems to have some perpendicular (to the road) grooves which don't help my MPGs. Along that stretch, I can't seem to improve my mileage. I have the same MPGs at the beginning as at the end.

    Traveling along a regular concrete road I can improve my MPGs as I go along. But, once I hit a section of highway that is asphalt my MPGs improve almost immediately.

    Does anyone else notice this?
     
    #1 jsfabb, Mar 18, 2013
  2. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    The more road noise that you hear, the lower your MPG due to increased rolling resistance. Generating noise uses energy.

    JeffD
     
    #2 jdenenberg, Mar 18, 2013
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  3. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Road surfaces indeed affect FE. Smooth concrete is one of the most efficient road surfaces but grooved concrete is worse, particularly if the grooves are perpendicular to travel. Ambient temps will also change rolling resistance on these surfaces because it changes pliability of the surface just as it changes pliability of tires. Think of asphalt on a 110F day. Can you say sticky? LOL

    Anyway, there are a few scientific papers on the subject if you are interested in reading through them.
     
    #3 F8L, Mar 20, 2013
  4. walter Lee

    walter Lee Hypermiling Padawan

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    Vehicle rolling resistance factors : Low >> High

    asphalt > concrete > gravel/dirt (road)
    dry > wet > snow-ice (road condition)
    smooth > rumble strips/groove > dirty road/damaged/potholes (road surface quality)
    max sidewall tire pressure > recommended tire pressure > lower than recommended tire pressure > flat tire
    low rolling resistant tires > regular touring tires > performance/snow tires > tires with chains
     
    #4 walter Lee, Mar 22, 2013
  5. szgabor

    szgabor Active Member

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    Which part of Sunrise is that ???

    I drive Sunrise=>Belt=>Van Vick Service Road=>QB=>Koch B to work and back the oposite

    Can't think of where on Sunrise are grooves ???(which town??)
     
    #5 szgabor, Mar 27, 2013
  6. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    Just East of the Oakdale Merge. It doesn't seem like the concrete is very smooth there. You are probably a lot farther West of there, if you are going SR to the Belt.
     
    #6 jsfabb, Mar 28, 2013
  7. szgabor

    szgabor Active Member

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    That is right a LOT farther west Oceanside/RockvilleCentre .... that is why I never seen anything like that ... there local roads where the grooves are parallel with the road in turns not sure if that help traction maybe ...

    But the explanation above is correct the rolling resistance are highly dependent on the surface.
     
    #7 szgabor, Mar 28, 2013
  8. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    jsfabb...

    You also have the benefit of the time of day predominate wind direction in your favor.
    On Long Island the predominate morning winds are generally from the east and in the afternoon they're predominately from the west. So you get a tail wind both going to work in the AM and returning from work in the PM.

    I see this effect many mornings as I travel the opposite directions to work as you do- I travel east in the AM and west in the PM. Many times I'm fighting a headwind both going to and coming back from work.
     
    #8 ny_rob, Mar 28, 2013
  9. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    It seems that when I head West the wind is predominantly against me. But here is an easy way to figure it out.

    Wind Map

    You can zoom in to the map and it will give you the exact wind speed where your cursor is.
     
    #9 jsfabb, Apr 2, 2013
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