AERODYNAMIC DRAG REDUCTION FOR AUSTRALIAN TRUCKS

Reduction in truck fuel consumption helps the truck operator and Australia's balance of payments. An improvement of 5-10 per cent in fuel consumption can be achieved by customising add on aerodynamic attachments to Australian trucks. The objectives of this program were to discover, using a 3 m by 2 m cross section wind tunnel and by modified SAE type II on road truck experiments: 1) the estimated current usage of aerodynamic devices in Australia; 2) how model scale wind tunnel tests correlated with on road tests; and 3) how best to advise manufacturers and operators on the use of truck aerodynamic devices. This program has: assembled a world class set of literature on truck aerodynamics; designed and tested in the wind tunnel, and on the road, a representative range of aerodynamic devices for commonly used trucks in Australia; and produced a code of good practice to aid operators and manufacturers to gain confidence in the use of add on aerodynamic devices. (Author/TRRL)