STUDY OF EMISSIONS AND FUEL CONSUMPTION UNDER ALTITUDE CONDITIONS ABOVE 3000 M.A.S.L. IN LIGHT GASOLINE VEHICLES USING A REPRESENTATIVE DRIVING CYCLE

This research studies how altitude affects gasoline-powered light-duty vehicles by observing their fuel consumption and emissions through different driving cycles designed to represent different areas of Latin America. To carry out this study, four years of light-duty vehicle operating data were collected over a wide altitudinal range in Ecuador, and the most reliable data were selected. Then, various methodologies were used to construct driving cycles based on micro-trips, which were randomly selected to prioritize the most repetitive operating conditions. These micro-trips were then concatenated to create a representative cycle and the representativeness of each cycle was evaluated by comparison with the initial data. This study is of great importance due to the increasing impact that transportation has on greenhouse gas generation, and the need for representative driving cycles in order to evaluate vehicle performance. In addition, it focused on light vehicles that run on gasoline, which is one of the main fuels used in Latin America. The research also took into account altitude, which is known to affect engine performance and vehicle emissions. To carry out this study, driving cycles were used that simulate the real behavior of vehicles in different areas of Latin America, which increases the accuracy of the results. Random micro-trips were selected and concatenated to obtain a representative cycle, which was then compared with the initial data to assess its validity. By using representative driving cycles, more accurate results on vehicle fuel consumption and emissions can be obtained, which can help researchers and manufacturers improve performance and reduce the environmental impact of vehicles. This study is important because it provides valuable information on the impact of altitude on gasoline-powered light-duty vehicles in Latin America, and also highlights the importance of representative driving cycles to accurately assess vehicle performance and reduce the environmental impact of vehicles.