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Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles (2010)

Chapter: Appendix F: Details of Aerodynamic Trailer Device Technology

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Details of Aerodynamic Trailer Device Technology." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
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F
Details of Aerodynamic Trailer Device Technology

Tables F-1 through F-3 report results from a collection of suppliers that provided trailer aerodynamic device results in more detail for trailer skirts, trailer base devices, and trailer face devices, three of the areas identified in Figure 5-9 (Chapter 5) as prime for aerodynamic device improvement in tractor-trailer combination trucks. These data are principally those returned by nine manufacturers responding to a committee questionnaire. Those responses were supplemented by information from the Web sites of four other manufacturers.

Interestingly, these most recent data on reduction of fuel consumption received from developers/manufacturers for trailer skirts (Table F-1) substantially group around 7 percent.

TABLE F-1 Trailer Skirt Information from Manufacturers

Item

Manufacturer

Qualified for SmartWay (Y/N)

Fuel Consumption Reduction (gal/mile) (%)

Evaluation Method (provide details)

Weight to Equip 53-ft Trailer, (lb)

Retail Price Equivalent for One Trailer (US$)

Estimated Annual Maintenance Cost (USD)

Other Useful Information

1

Laydon

Y

6

J1321

300

1,900

0

Very flexible meeting systems

2

FreightWing

Y

7

J1321, 62 mph

160

1,599

$50

Impact resistant; small road clearance

3

AdamWorks

Y

7

self truck test

<200

2,400

$400

Automatically deploys to 6-inch ground clearance

4

TransTexa

a

7.4

J1321, 61 mph

a

a

a

a

5

Windynea

Y

6.9

J1321

a

a

a

Improved handling in side winds

6

ATDynamics

Y

7.4

J1321, 60 mph

175

2,200

0

Reduced road spray, 5-year warranty

7

Wabash

Y

5.6

J1321, 65 mph

250

1,625

0

12-inch ground clearance

aCommittee questionnaire not responded to.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Details of Aerodynamic Trailer Device Technology." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
×

TABLE F-2 Trailer Base Device Information from Manufacturers

Item

Manufacturer

Qualified for SmartWay (Y/N)

Fuel Consumption Reduction (gal/mile) (%)

Evaluation Method

Weight to Equip 53-ft Trailer (lb)

Retail Price Equivalent for One Trailer (US$)

Estimated Annual Maintenance Cost (US%)

Other Useful Information

1

ATDynamics boat tail

Y

5.1

J1321, 62 mph

175

2,800

0

Folds flat in 6 sec; improves stability

2

AeroTrailerSysa inflatable tail

a

3

a

a

a

a

Automatically deploys

3

TransTexa boat tail

a

2.9

a

a

a

a

Reduces road spray

4

AirTab vortex generators

N

2-3

Truck test, 47 mph

1

220

0

Reduces road spray

aCommittee questionnaire not responded to.

SOURCE: Data from responses to committee questionnaire and from manufacturers’ websites.

TABLE F-3 Trailer Face Device Information from Manufacturers

Item

Manufacturer

Qualified for SmartWay (Y/N)

Fuel Consumption Reduction (gal/mile) (%)

Evaluation Method

Weight to Equip 53-ft Trailer (lb)

Retail Price Equivalent for One Trailer (US$)

Estimated Annual Maintenance Cost (USD)

Other Useful Information

1

Laydon Vortex Stabilizer

N

1

J1321

40

495

0

Better performance in yaw

2

Laydon Nose Fairing

Y

2

J1321

95

795

0

No tractor interference

3

FreightWing Gap Fairing

Y

2

J1321, 65 mph

75

849

$50

Better performance with low aerodynamic tractor

4

NoseCone Eyebrow

Y?

>3

J1321?

30

For high tractor roof fairing

5

NoseCone

Y?

>4

J1321?

75

1,264

$35

No yaw effect in J1321

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Details of Aerodynamic Trailer Device Technology." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
×
Page 219
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Details of Aerodynamic Trailer Device Technology." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12845.
×
Page 220
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Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles evaluates various technologies and methods that could improve the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, transit buses, and work trucks. The book also recommends approaches that federal agencies could use to regulate these vehicles' fuel consumption. Currently there are no fuel consumption standards for such vehicles, which account for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S.

The miles-per-gallon measure used to regulate the fuel economy of passenger cars. is not appropriate for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which are designed above all to carry loads efficiently. Instead, any regulation of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles should use a metric that reflects the efficiency with which a vehicle moves goods or passengers, such as gallons per ton-mile, a unit that reflects the amount of fuel a vehicle would use to carry a ton of goods one mile. This is called load-specific fuel consumption (LSFC).

The book estimates the improvements that various technologies could achieve over the next decade in seven vehicle types. For example, using advanced diesel engines in tractor-trailers could lower their fuel consumption by up to 20 percent by 2020, and improved aerodynamics could yield an 11 percent reduction. Hybrid powertrains could lower the fuel consumption of vehicles that stop frequently, such as garbage trucks and transit buses, by as much 35 percent in the same time frame.

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