Retractable Aerodynamic Side Skirts for Vehicle Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side skirts used to reduce aerodynamic drag on vehicles often detract from the vehicle's aesthetic appearance and are not easily deployable at lower speeds, limiting their use in maintaining both performance and appearance.
Innovation Solution
A retractable aerodynamic system comprising tapered side panels with convex curvature that deploys between the front and rear wheels at higher speeds, reducing air drag by redirecting airflow away from the rear wheel, while remaining stowed at lower speeds to preserve the vehicle's appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional side skirts are installed to reduce aerodynamic drag, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but the vehicle's aesthetic appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The side skirts are designed to be dynamically deployable and retractable. They remain retracted during normal parking and low-speed operation to preserve aesthetic appearance, and are deployed only during high-speed driving conditions where aerodynamic drag reduction becomes critical for energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state of the side skirts from a fixed installed position to a retracted position within body cavities. This parameter change allows the vehicle to transition between two aerodynamic configurations: one optimized for appearance at low speeds and another optimized for drag reduction at high speeds.
2Loss of energy
If fixed side skirts are used to reduce aerodynamic drag, then energy efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases due to permanent installation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The side skirts incorporate deployable support structures with actuators that enable dynamic positioning. This dynamic capability allows the system to achieve aerodynamic drag reduction only when needed, while maintaining a clean installed appearance during normal operation, thereby reducing the perceived complexity burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The side skirts are stored within cavities formed in the vehicle body panels when retracted. This nesting approach allows the aerodynamic components to be housed within the existing vehicle structure, minimizing additional space requirements and reducing overall system complexity.
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 effectively reduces aerodynamic drag by up to 5% and improves vehicle range without compromising the vehicle's external appearance, as it deploys only when necessary, such as when the vehicle reaches higher speeds.
Implementation Method 1
aerodynamic apparatus for a vehicle... reduce aerodynamic drag... reducing the amount of air that contacts the tires of a vehicle, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the forward and rear faces of the tire
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods reducing the amount of drag on a vehicle are provided. In some embodiments, the proposed apparatuses are configured to remain stowed in a sidewall of the vehicle when not in use, thereby maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle, while in other embodiments the apparatus is static and fixed along the sides of the vehicle. In one example, an aerodynamic apparatus includes a tapered structure, in which an inner side panel is substantially planar, and an outer side panel has a convex curvature.