Numerical Analysis of Wind-Break Fences for Truck Stability in Crosswind

Several accidents on the highways are due to strong crosswind conditions. The effectiveness of wind-break fences on a sudden strong crosswind has been investigated for a generic truck model. Two wind-break fences have been designed for stretching the rise time of aerodynamic loads. The dynamic response of the vehicle to crosswind while exiting a tunnel is simulated. Moving mesh CFD simulations and vehicle dynamics simulations are used to assess the effectiveness of the fences based on a safety index and the maximum lateral displacement of the vehicle. The proposed fences mitigate sudden aerodynamic loads and avoid the rollover of the vehicle.