Vehicle Aerodynamics
Background
Tougher emissions standards, as well as industry demands for more powerful engines and new vehicle equipment, continue to increase
the heat rejection requirements of heavy-duty vehicles. However, changes in the physical configuration and weight
of these vehicles can affect how they handle wind resistance and energy loss due to aerodynamic drag.
Role of High-Performance Computing
The field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) offers researchers the ability to visualize and predict how changes in design
affect a heavy-duty vehicle’s aerodynamic performance on the road. Incorporating advanced simulation capability in the heavy-duty
vehicle design process can help improve fuel economy. Argonne scientists and engineers use a variety of commercial CFD tools to
develop guidelines for the use of CFD analysis in evaluating tractor-trailer designs. The simulations have been compared with
detailed pressure, velocity, and body force data from wind tunnel experiments. Results show that modeling can predict drag coefficients
within 1% of the actual values measured, and that surface pressure distributions can be predicted with reasonable accuracy.
![Truck Aerodynamics](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080923000742im_/http://www.anl.gov/TRACC/images/truck_aerodynamics.jpg)
Prediction of aerodynamic flow patterns for a heavy-duty vehicle using computational fluid dynamics.
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