Numerical investigation on the aerodynamics and fuel consumption of a truck-trailer (original) (raw)
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Enhancement of Aerodynamic Efficiency of Truck-Trailer
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 2016
The CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis is the well known analysis which is done to parameters of the interface between the body and the fluid. Fluid flow around the body is major topic of concern so the CFD is held. These analyses will helping in minimize the fuel consumption of a freight vehicle, Truck-trailer and increase its stability while at work. One parameter on which the whole project depends is the Drag coefficient of the body which is being determined in the project further. The analysis is done in ANSYS software and Coefficient of Drag is obtained. A truck-trailer as a ground vehicle is considered. The project will be dealing with the air flow around the body at high speed of 30 m/s. Analysis will be done by considering the Menter’s SST (Shear Stress Transition) model as standard. Simulation would be done on different cases with some improvements on the body and comparing them. Velocity contours and vector fields will be obtained along with the Coefficient of dra...
Drag Reduction of Semi-Trailer Aerodynamic Devices Determined by Two Different Methods
Tehnicki vjesnik - Technical Gazette, 2020
Actual trend in transport is the decreasing of the energy consumption and GHG production. One way how to decrease these two attributes is the reduction of aerodynamic drag using additional aerodynamic devices on semi-trailers. The paper presents the results of their influence measured by using two different methods. The results were obtained by performing coastdown tests and they were compared with outputs obtained by the measurements in the wind tunnel. The driving test consists of the coastdown test on flat straight track protected from the wind impact. The current velocity was measured by the GPS sensor. The vehicle deceleration was used for the acting driving resistances counting-one of them is the air drag-drag coefficient. The results were compared with drag coefficient values examined in a wind tunnel test on a scaled truck model done by authors.
A Study on Aerodynamic Drag of a Semi-trailer Truck
Procedia Engineering, 2013
The CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis is the well known analysis which is done to parameters of the interface between the body and the fluid. Fluid flow around the body is major topic of concern so the CFD is held. These analyses will helping in minimize the fuel consumption of a freight vehicle, Truck-trailer and increase its stability while at work. One parameter on which the whole project depends is the Drag coefficient of the body which is being determined in the project further. The analysis is done in ANSYS software and Coefficient of Drag is obtained. A truck-trailer as a ground vehicle is considered. The project will be dealing with the air flow around the body at high speed of 30 m/s. Analysis will be done by considering the Menter's SST (Shear Stress Transition) model as standard. Simulation would be done on different cases with some improvements on the body and comparing them. Velocity contours and vector fields will be obtained along with the Coefficient of drag. A single modified device or body is analyzed at a time and there COD are to be noted for improvements.
Computational simulation of model and full scale Class 8 trucks with drag reduction devices
Computers & Fluids, 2011
Numerical solutions of the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations using a parallel implicit flow solver are given to investigate unsteady aerodynamic flows affecting the fuel economy of Class 8 trucks. Both compressible and incompressible forms of the equations are solved using a finite-volume discretization for unstructured grids and using Riemann-based interfacial fluxes and characteristicvariable numerical boundary conditions. A preconditioned primitive-variable formulation is used for compressible solutions, and the incompressible solutions employ artificial compressibility. Detached eddy simulation (DES) versions of the one-equation Menter SAS and the two-equation k À /k À x hybrid turbulence models are used. A fully nonlinear implicit backward-time approximation is solved using a parallel Newton-iterative algorithm with numerically computed flux Jacobians. Unsteady three-dimensional aerodynamic simulations with grids of 18-20 million points and 50,000 time steps are given for the Generic Conventional Model (GCM), a 1:8 scale tractor-trailer model that was tested in the NASA Ames 7 Â 10 tunnel. Computed pressure coefficients and drag force are in good agreement with measurements for a zero-incidence case. Similar computations for a case with 10°yaw gave reasonable agreement for drag force, while the pressure distributions suggested the need for tighter grid resolution or possibly improved turbulence models. Unsteady incompressible flow simulations were performed for a modified full scale version of the GCM geometry to evaluate drag reduction devices. All of these simulations were performed with a moving ground plane and rotating rear wheels. A simulation with trailer base flaps is compared with drag reduction data from wind tunnels and track and road tests. A front spoiler and three mud-flap designs with modest drag reduction potential are also evaluated.
An Aerodynamic Design and Optimization of a Heavy Truck for Drag Reduction
ASME 2010 10th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, Volume 3, 2010
In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study is carried out in an effort to design and optimize the cabin geometry and its various parts for drag reduction that include the side deflectors, the mirrors and the sun visor. For the validation of computational results, an experimental investigation using a 1/5 scale truck model has been carried out in a wind tunnel. The aerodynamic force as well as the surface-pressure point measurements carried out at selected wind speeds. The flow visualizations using smoke and oil were also performed. With the experimental results, the basic characteristics of flow over the cabin geometry (including the flow separation locations) are compared with the CFD results. The both steady and unsteady CFD simulations are performed. The comparison of steady/unsteady results reveals that the time-averaged unsteady flow characteristics are practically the same as the steady calculations for design purposes. In addition to CFD simulations involving the actual (real) truck cabin geometry, for the optimization of the specific cabin accessories, (e.g., side deflectors and mirrors), a generic truck model is also used for CFD analyses. The optimized side deflector geometry (e.g., the ratio of the air inlet and outlet area), and the optimum form of the mirrors for drag reduction have been realized by numerical investigations.
Simple and Low-Cost Aerodynamic Drag Reduction Devices for Tractor-Trailer Trucks
SAE Technical Paper Series, 2003
Three simple, low cost aerodynamic drag reduction devices have been developed for application to the trailer of a tractor-trailer truck. The three devices have undergone extensive operational testing where they have amassed over 85,000 miles of use. These technologies have shown a combined fuel savings of 10% at an average speed of 47.5 mph. This improvement in fuel economy correlates to an equivalent drag reduction of approximately 30% with a corresponding drag coefficient of 0.45. Observations and anecdotal evidence from the test activity have shown that the addition of these devices to the trailers has not had a negative impact on either the operational utility of the trailers or the maintenance procedures and requirements.
Optimization of Fuel Economy by Drag Reduction of Bedford Truck
ICMAAE-17, 2017
The main concerns of automotive aerodynamics are reducing the drag, reducing wind noise and increasing the stability of vehicle to avoid the road side accidents etc. For this purpose a variety of add-on devices are available in order to improve the aerodynamics of vehicles. As all over the world the aerodynamics of tractor-trailer has been significantly improved by coupling the experimental results with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and due to decreasing energy resources it is vital to improve the aerodynamics of Bedford trucks in Pakistan. The effect of aerodynamic drag on performance and fuel consumption is investigated using a model of the typical Bedford truck being used in Pakistan for transportation of goods. Modifying truck geometry can reduce drag and improve fuel economy. In the present study, CFD analysis is performed. Modeling and meshing of the truck has been done on the software Gambit © and Gridgen. By optimizing the structure of the truck the drag coefficient reduces by approximately 30 percent and the fuel consumption is significantly improved.
Modelling of efficiency of aerodynamic devices on a tractor-trailer
While trucking accounts for 60% of freight energy use in the US, aerodynamic drag is responsible for 65% of the total energy expenditure for a heavy truck at 70 miles per hour. Reducing the aerodynamic resistance of a heavy truck can significantly improve its fuel economy. While multiple aerodynamic devices have been proposed for heavy trucks, they do not always promote the most efficient operation, as they may hinder manoeuvring and docking. This limited acceptance by the industry can be summarised as a contradiction: aerodynamic devices are useful at cruising speed, but during docking or manoeuvring, they may be an obstacle to efficient operations. This contradiction can be resolved if the devices are only deployed or interact with the incoming flow at high speed. Examples are dynamic (foldable) side fairings and vortex generators (VGs). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of the VGs under head and side wind conditions has shown that they are more efficient for side winds than for head winds.
A computational simulation of aerodynamic drag reductions for heavy commercial vehicles
Heavy commercial vehicles are known for being extremely inefficient compared to other ground vehicles, partly due to high aerodynamic drag. This is a result of their un-streamlined body shape. A large commercial vehicle travelling at 100 km/h consumes approximately 52% of the total fuel to provide the power required to overcome the aerodynamic drag. The primary objective of this study is to determine the aerodynamic impact of various fuel saving devices used in heavy commercial vehicles. To measure the aerodynamic drag produced by the vehicle, an experimental and computational simulation study was undertaken using a 1/10th scale model of a Mack 600R class 8 tractor-trailer. The aerodynamic drag on the base vehicle with external attachments (i.e., front faring, side skirting and gap filling) was measured for a range of vehicle operating speeds and yaw angles. The configurations used were chosen as they required minimal modification of the vehicle and could be implemented on existing commercial trucks. This paper focuses on the validation of the experimental work through computer simulations on a baseline vehicle configuration. As well as this, the simulations will be used to further predict the expected aerodynamic effects and possible drag reductions with various add-ons and configurations. The findings indicate that a significant drag reduction between 20% and 35% can be achieved depending on the modifications and cross wind conditions. It was found that the full-skirting (using the front fairing, side skirting and gap filling) has maximum impact while only front fairing has lowest impact on aerodynamic drag reduction overall.
2019
The present interest of lessening the fuel utilization of vehicles is standout amongst the most difficult issues inside the Automotive Industry. An ongoing exploration about fuel decrease advancements for trucks demonstrated that streamlined enhancement is a significant step amongst the most vital advances with regards to fuel sparing. Beforehand, examine has been done in this field with the extension constrained to customary Tractor Trailer course of action. The present study deals with Aerodynamic effect on B train tractor trailer configuration