The objective of this research was to initiate the development of a design procedure to optimize the shape of a drag reducing device to obtain a significant drag reduction on the rear end of a trailer of a tractor-trailer rig. To meet this objective, four wind tunnel experiments were conducted. An optimized shape has not been determined as of yet; however, it was found that the aerodynamic drag could be reduced as much as 17.4 percent, and that there are several important parameters that influence the drag reduction, such as: device length, device edge curvature, and the device-to-trailer attachment angles.
Wind Tunnel Investigation of an Inflatable Aerodynamic Boattail for Tractor-Trailers
Sae Technical Papers
International Congress & Exposition ; 1996
1996-02-01
Conference paper
English
Wind tunnel investigation of an inflatable aerodynamic boattail for tractor-trailers
Automotive engineering | 1996
|