Prakash Shakti
K. J. Institute of Engineering & Technology, India
Title: Carbon Fiber Body Design with Surface Contrivance to Improve Aerodynamic Laws on Tractor-Trailer
Biography
Biography: Prakash Shakti
Abstract
The main importance of this research is to improve tractor trailer aerodynamic by using a carbon fiber material on a trailer body and surface contrivance that means changing the shape of body design of trailer as well as tractor. By using Carbon fiber as a body material it provide proper aerodynamic stability and also reduction on wind noise because of light weight.
The research main focoused on changes of tractor trailer body design, the following changes has been done:-
- Cab deflector
- Trailer side skirt
- Wheel cowling (Trailer)
- Cab underbody air dam (Center Fitted)
- Air shield gap air passage
- Wider tire
- Trailer underbody triangular fairing
- Curve trailer body
- Trailer tail with air vanes
- Tractor corner vanes
- Extended cab panel with air vane (Tractor & Trailer Gap Filling)
- Internal air passage (rottating wheel air)
- Arc shape trailer frontal
- Tractor rear Spike (Pressure & Noise Decreaser)
The design has been done by using a 3D modelling software after that computation fluid dynamic simulation carried out. For air flow simulation the velocity of air was 80 kmph on actual dimensioned tractor trailer and by doing CFD there was many changes on trailer body like proper air flow, decrease in lift and drag forces also decrease in wind noise near to wheel and body. Changing the overall design lead to decreases aerodynamic forces by 33 % which thusly lead deprecation in fuel consumption by 2.7 %. It also provide better trailer stability in windy weather and cross wind condition dependes upon different driving condition.