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Wind Tunnel Investigation of an Inflatable Aerodynamic Boattail for Tractor-Trailers
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English
Abstract
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.
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Citation
Funderburk, R. and Carper, H., "Wind Tunnel Investigation of an Inflatable Aerodynamic Boattail for Tractor-Trailers," SAE Technical Paper 960908, 1996, https://doi.org/10.4271/960908.Also In
Vehicle Aerodynamics: Wind Tunnels, Cfd, Aeroacoustics, and Ground Transportation Systems
Number: SP-1145; Published: 1996-02-01
Number: SP-1145; Published: 1996-02-01
References
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