Aerodynamic Study between the Tractor Trailer Gaps Mounted with a Refrigeration Unit of Two Trailers Crossing Each Other Using Transient Computational Fluid Dynamics

The dynamic loading on the skin of a refrigeration unit mounted in the gap between tractor and trailer is studied while another trailer passes by on a freeway using transient computational fluid dynamics. Dynamic Meshing methodology available in Ansys Fluent was used to understand the transient pressure and flow regimes in and around the tractor trailer gap in general and refrigeration unit in particular, at various vehicle speeds. The influences of the lateral distance between the crossing trailers and vehicle speed on the pressure distribution on the refrigeration unit have been studied.