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The traditional vehicle-based approach to measuring the effect of oil-related fuel economy has relied on separate oil-aging and measurement processes where oil-aging takes place using an established driving protocol like the EPA Approved Mileage Accumulation (AMA) Driving Schedule for vehicle aging, then at set mileage intervals fuel economy is assessed using procedures such as the EPA FTP75 and Highway Fuel Economy emission test protocols described in 40 CFR, Parts 86 and 600. These test methods are useful for producing discrete snapshots of fuel economy at set mileage intervals but are unable to provide continuous information about oil-related changes in fuel economy. During the tests, the vehicle's fuel economy is indirectly calculated using a carbon-balance method of the bagged sample of dilute tailpipe emissions that effectively integrates the fuel economy of the vehicle during the sample interval which varies between eight and fifteen minutes.

A host of bench and engine tests have historically been used by formulators to assess fuel economy when developing engine oils for gasoline-powered passenger cars and light trucks. Some of these methods assess basic lubricant physical properties such as hydrodynamic, boundary and thin-film friction, and are useful for quickly screening experimental components and formulations. Some methods assess rotational drag of a motored engine and offer insights into the friction of various engine parts. Still other methods directly measure the energy consumption in a test engine running in a research laboratory and thus come the closest to simulating a consumer-operated vehicle. Each test method has inherent limitations and is based on underlying assumptions, producing artifacts that must first be understood and then analyzed for relevance to either industry lubricant specifications or real world fuel economy performance.

Heavy duty vehicles take a large role in providing global logistics. It is required to have both high durability and reduced CO2 from the viewpoint of global environment conservation. Therefore lubricating oils for transmission and axle/differential gear box are required to have excellent protection and longer drain intervals. However, it is also necessary that the gear oil maintain suitable friction performance for the synchronizers of the transmission. Even with such good performance, both transmission and axle/differential gear box lubricants must balance cost and performance, in particular in the Asian market. The development of gear oil additives for high reliability gear oil must consider the available base oils in various regions as the additive is a global product. In many cases general long drain gear oils for heavy duty vehicles use the group III or IV base oils, but it is desirable to use the group I/II base oils in terms of cost and availability.

The wet clutch system (WCS) is a complex combination of friction plates, separator plates and fluid (lubricant). The basic function of the WCS is to transfer torque under various operating conditions such as slipping, shifting, start/launch and/or torque converter clutch (TCC) operation. Under these conditions the slope of the coefficient of friction (μ or COF) versus slip speed (μ-v) curve must be positive to prevent shudder of the WCS, a highly undesirable condition in the lubricated friction system. An extended durability duty cycle test procedure is required to evaluate the WCS during which the μ-v curve is monitored for a negative slope, a condition indicating the potential for shudder. The friction plates, separator plates, and lubricant must be tested together and remain together during the test to be properly evaluated as a WCS.

Gasoline particulate filter (GPF) is considered a suitable solution to meet the increasingly stringent particle number (PN) regulations for both gasoline direct injection (GDI) and multi-port fuel injection (MPI) engines. Generally, GDI engines emit more particulate matter (PM) and PN. In recent years, GDI engines have gained significant market penetration in the automobile industry owing to better fuel economy and drivability. In this study, an accelerated ash loading method was tested by doping lubricating oil into the fuel for a GDI engine. Emission tests were performed at different ash loads with different driving cycles and GPF combinations. The results showed that the GPF could significantly reduce particle emissions to meet the China 6 regulation. With further ash loading, the filtration efficiency increased above 99% and the effects on fuel consumption and backpressure were found to be limited, even with an ash loading of up to 50 g/l.

Catalyzed gasoline particulate filter (cGPF) is the prime technology to meet future stringent regulations for particulates from gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. One of the technical concerns is the ultimate durability of cGPF in regards to engine lubricant formulations. This study investigated two tailored lubricant formulations on catalyzed GPFs which were aged on engine followed by emission testing on vehicle. An engine accelerated aging protocol was developed for cGPFs to simulate thermal aging, ash and soot loading that is at least equivalent to 200,000 km durability requirement. Evaluations include tailpipe emission levels, backpressure, catalytic performance, and post-mortem analysis. Both formulations have demonstrated a high level of cGPF performance retention; performance being assessed in terms of emission level at the end of durability demonstration testing. These formulations provide flexibility in selecting robust lubricant to meet various system requirements.

Catalyzed gasoline particulate filters (cGPF) are one of the most effective emission control technologies for reducing gaseous and particulate emissions simultaneously. Successful adoption of this advanced technology relies on several important performance properties including low back pressure, high filtration efficiency and specially durability compliance. In this work using an underfloor cGPF, the backpressure control was achieved through optimizing catalyst coating technology and modifying the deposition profile of catalyst coating along GPF channels. Durability performance was demonstrated by using an accelerated engine aging method with selective blending of lubricating oils in fuel, which incorporates the aging mechanisms of thermal aging, ash loading, and soot accumulation/regeneration. The target durability demonstration represents 200,000 km real world operation.

The ubiquity of gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicles has been rapidly increasing across the globe due to the increasing demand for fuel efficient vehicles. GDI technology offers many advantages over conventional port fuel injection (PFI) engines, such as improvements in fuel economy and higher engine power density; however, GDI technology presents unique challenges as well. GDI engines can be more susceptible to fuel injector deposits and have higher particulate emissions relative to PFI engines due to the placement of the injector inside the combustion chamber. Thus, the need for reliable test protocols to develop next generation additives to improve GDI vehicle performance is paramount. This work discloses a general test method for consistently fouling injectors in GDI vehicles and engines that can accommodate multiple vehicle/engine types, injector designs, and drive cycles, which allows for development of effective GDI fuel additives.