Highway Tractor-Trailer Splash and Spray Reduction Through Aerodynamic Design

The application of aerodynamics to treat highway tractor-trailer vehicles, primarily for fuel economy gains, has a potentially significant effect in reducing the spray generated from surface water at high road speeds.

This paper describes the evaluation of an aerodynamically designed conventional tractor-trailer system to determine the levels of spray control assignable to individual aero features. Basic study involved vehicle operation through controlled water depths using laser instrumentation to rate the level of spray generated. Additionally, video documentation of certain configurations operating on-highway compared the real world effectiveness of aerodynamic designs in moderate rainfall.