Aerodynamic Drag Reduction and Wind Power Generation
The purpose of this study is to better understand what technologies or practices can be applied to highway tractor and trailer combinations and highway motor coach buses to reduce aerodynamic drag without negatively affecting the usefulness or profitability of the vehicles. Additionally, the device itself is welling to generate electricity produced by the drag force of the wind.
Heavy trucks usually carry on a huge drag force which effect the efficiency of the truck combustion engine by consuming more fuel. Moreover, the aerodynamic drag in winter can be nearly 20% greater than at standard conditions 10%, due to the ambient air density. The drag is a force acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fluid.
Our team has decided to pursue the solution of reducing the drag force by designing aerodynamic kit that is attached to a small wind turbine generator. Meanwhile, the trucks speed up which creates a high drag resistance on the head of truck, the aerodynamic kit will manage to reduce that drag and there will be vents into the kit that convert what lift of drag force to generate electricity. Therefore, the electricity produced can be used in other application within the truck as well as improve the fuel efficiency.