Automatic Gap Closing Cover for Coupled Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Coupled vehicles, such as tractor-trailer combinations, face challenges in fuel efficiency due to aerodynamic drag caused by the gap between the tractor and trailer, which worsens at higher speeds, necessitating a solution that enhances fuel economy without compromising maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
An automatic gap closing system with a selectively extendable cover that deploys and retracts based on vehicle speed and location, using a controller and actuator to enclose the gap between the vehicles, improving aerodynamics and fuel efficiency while maintaining maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a gap closing cover is deployed between the tractor and trailer, then aerodynamic drag is reduced and fuel efficiency is improved, but maneuverability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The gap closing cover is designed to be selectively deployable and retractable, transitioning between extended and retracted positions based on operating conditions. The cover can be extended to reduce aerodynamic drag during highway cruising and retracted to improve maneuverability during low-speed operations, making the system dynamic rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of the gap configuration by extending or retracting the cover. This parameter change allows the gap to be closed when fuel efficiency is prioritized (highway travel) and opened when maneuverability is prioritized (city delivery), optimizing performance for different operational modes.
2Loss of energy
If the cover is extended to close the gap between vehicles, then aerodynamic drag is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that automatically detect when the vehicle is traveling above a threshold speed (indicating highway conditions) and trigger the cover to extend. When speed drops below the threshold (indicating city conditions), the cover automatically retracts. This self-service automation reduces the need for manual intervention and simplifies operation despite the mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with an automated control system that uses speed sensors and actuators. This substitution of mechanical control with sensor-actuator systems manages the complexity by using electronic control rather than complex mechanical linkages.
3Extent of automation
If manual operation of the cover is used, then system complexity is reduced, but response time and automation level decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses speed sensors to continuously monitor vehicle speed and provides feedback to the control system. When the speed exceeds the threshold, the system automatically commands the actuator to extend the cover. This feedback loop enables automatic response to changing driving conditions without manual input, achieving high automation level.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system serves itself by automatically detecting operating conditions through speed sensors and controlling the cover position without requiring driver intervention. This self-service capability increases automation while managing complexity through straightforward sensor-actuator architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption by up to 10% by closing the gap at high speeds, while allowing for improved maneuverability at lower speeds by retracting the cover, thus optimizing fuel efficiency and operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
aerodynamic drag caused by the gap between the tractor and trailer, especially at higher speeds
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic gap closing system automatically moves a gap closing cover between an un-deployed and a deployed configuration to selectively cover a gap between two coupled vehicles (e.g., tractor-trailer combination) in response to an actual or expected speed of at least one of the vehicles, thereby increasing fuel efficiency at relatively high or fast speeds without hindering maneuverability of the coupled vehicles at relatively low or slow speeds. Indications of speed and/or location may come from speed sensors, on-board computers (i.e., black box), GPS receivers, or wireless receivers.