The simple way to improve fuel economy

Nitrogen inflation in tyres not only drastically improves tyre life, it also increases fuel economy of trucks, an American research study has found. According to the study conducted by the Mechanical Engineering Department at Clemson University in South Carolina in the United States, tyres filled with nitrogen maintain tyre pressure 74% better per month than those filled with air at normal operating conditions. As a result, nitrogen-inflated tyres produced about 70% less rolling resistance than air-inflated tyres, which has a positive influence on the fuel economy and life of a truck tyre. According to the study, by inflating tyres with nitrogen, fuel economy can be increased by 23.3% and tyre life by 50%. Overall cost incurred on fuel and replacement tyres is drastically reduced and CO2 emission into the atmosphere is cut down by at least 19%. Gerald Quinlivan, commercial and sales manager for Intaka Tech, a Cape Townbased company that supplies an equipment range that allows one to fill tyres with nitrogen in one’s own yard when trucks are resting, said the study was proof of the massive savings that the use of nitrogen brings. “This study also shows that we have been very conservative in our estimates locally around the savings incurred through the use of nitrogen in tyres,” he told FTW. “If we take our estimates of 6% fuel savings and a 25% tyre lifespan increase and calculate that into rands and cents one would see savings of around R45 000 per year in fuel and tyres with a truck travelling over 100 000km.” The US study, said Quinlivan, increases the figure dramatically. The study found that a truck travelling around 2500 miles (4000km) per week would use up only 290 gallons (1098 litres) of fuel running on nitrogen-inflated tyres compared to 357 gallons (1351 litres) of fuel for a truck using air-inflated tyres. This translates into a saving of about 67 gallons (254 litres) of diesel every week or about 3240 gallons (12 265 litres) a year. The study also found that improving fuel economy by decreasing rolling resistance had a positive impact on the environment. “We can save 3240 gallons (12 265 litres) of fuel every year which means CO2 emissions are drastically reduced.” Quinlivan said he hoped the study would play a role in converting more South African truck operators to using nitrogen. INSERT 1 50% The improvement in tyre life with nitrogen inflation. INSERT 2 23.3% The increased fuel economy with nitrogen-inflated tyres.