ON PATH OF PROGRESS: First prototype machine developed at Guntur to train APSRTC drivers on ways to improve fuel efficiency. — Photo: T Vijaya Kumar

GUNTUR: Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation employees of Guntur region have come out with an innovative training machine for drivers, that has phenomenally improved fuel economy setting an example for the entire State.

Simple trick

The simple trick of utilising momentum of the vehicle to save fuel has done wonders. A month's trial with the prototype machine improved fuel economy in the region from 5.36 km per litre to 5.6 km per litre.

RTC Chief Mechanical Engineer (Maintenance) P.V.D. Jayashankar Prasad witnessed the demonstration a couple of days ago and wishes to adopt the method for implementation soon at all the 212 depots in the State. Two years of sensitisation of bus drivers by conducting seminars and distributing colourful pamphlets did not result in curbing the wastage of diesel, but Repalle Depot Manager Ramudu, put the concept in a practical form by designing a prototype of a bus engine that gave the cross section view of the functional part of combustion chamber.

The machine was linked to a real accelerator of a bus and with every degree of pressing of the pedal the machine dispensed diesel into an open combustion chamber with a cylinder and piston. The harder they pressed the pedal greater the amount of diesel coming out of the injecting nozzle -- here visible to the drivers.

To provide initial torque for the bus to take off accelerator needs to be used, but after attaining a certain speed and travelling some distance acceleration could be reduced to save fuel by taking advantage of the momentum produced by the mass and velocity of the bus, points out Regional Manager G. Jaya Rao.

Improved efficiency

This theoretical concept gets into the mind of even a layman with this `Protech Machine'. A driver of Guntur-II Depot VVR Reddy averaged 4.6 kmpl for 20 years, but a week's demonstration has improved his efficiency to 5.76 kmpl.

The RTC pays a cash incentive of 80 to 95 per cent of money equivalent of fuel saved above a base level and this month three drivers could take home about Rs. 1,000 each.

Trainers Md. Haneef and Abdul Saleem have been instrumental in taking the efficiency of 68 drivers to satisfactory levels within a month.

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