Shell V-Power - Tested with Vauxhall Vectra (Transcript)

Scientists from Shell’s field’s technology group use a range of highly sophisticated and specialist techniques and tools to develop and evaluate fuels for the global markets they serve. Applying automotive engineering skills to the drive for the improved fuel formulations has led to development to a series of modified vehicles, which are used as mobile laboratories to further understand and demonstrate fuels characteristics out on the road.

This bi-fuelled performance demonstrator is based on a 1.8 litre GM Vectra. The car’s fuel system has been substantially modified to take three separate systems. This allows the engine to be alternately fed by the two different fuels under examination while the engine is running. The third system is used to flush and store the discarded fuel.

Sensors fitted to the engine monitor engine speed and ignition timing, so the fuel’s performance characteristics can be evaluated. An on-board computer system evaluates this data together with road speed, as well as controlling the fuel selector feeds via the fuel pump control panel. The vehicle is first driven with all four cylinders being fed with the first fuel under test. The system is flushed and then switched to the other tank containing the second test fuel, enabling the performance of the second fuel to be compared.

Shell scientist working with the original equipment manufacturer have also developed a portable chassis dynamometer, so the performance of Shell advanced fuels can be demonstrated anywhere in the world. The portable dynamometer is used to show the performance benefits from using, for instance, Shell V-Power, as against a typical market fuel, by comparing the ignition timing setting during full-load in-gear accelerations.

First using Shell V-Power, the ignition advance gradually increases, together with the road speed. The fuel system is flushed and switched to the tank containing the other fuel. This time the ignition timing profile has a number of deviations. These differences provide a reliable number of indications of reduced performance compared to the Shell V-Power results.

The performance benefits of using Shell advanced fuels, such as Shell V-Power, can also be graphically demonstrated using a 3D virtual highway. Data gathered from the two tests can be instantly analysed and displayed. The red car represents the performance with Shell V-Power, whilst the black car represents the typical market fuel. The bi-fuelled Vectra coupled with the portable dynamometer and data analysis equipment, developed by Shell scientists, provide a powerful persuasive tool demonstrating the innovation and technology that goes into Shell advanced fuels.

Shell’s advanced fuel performance demonstrators. Proving a point.