Drag reduction in a class 8 truck - Scaled down model

Abstract

Trucks are heavy load vehicles used mainly for commercial transport operations. There are several classes of heavy duty commercial vehicles classified based on the weight loaded. More than 50% of the engine output power in such trucks is utilized to overcome the drag. Drag force in automobiles is the resistance offered by air on vehicles at higher speeds. Class 8 trucks suffer higher drag when compared to other classes. In the present work, a numerical model is developed using a commercial code ANSYS FLUENT to predict the drag coefficient value. The effects of gap width and cab front radius with a constant fairing is analysed using the numerical model developed. A Class 8 model truck with minimal drag coefficient having constant fairing and optimized gap width between the trailer and cab is proposed.