Trailer Drag Reduction Plate and Deflector Structure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current trailer designs experience significant aerodynamic drag at high speeds, leading to reduced fuel efficiency, and the use of fairings to mitigate this issue is labor-intensive and costly, with limitations in accommodating wheel set repositioning.
Innovation Solution
A drag reduction plate secured to the bottom of the trailer, optionally combined with deflector plates, which can be moved to accommodate wheel sets, providing a cost-effective and efficient solution to reduce drag and enhance fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If fairings are mounted along each side of the trailer to reduce drag, then fuel efficiency is improved, but labor cost and capital expenditure increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential drag reduction function from the complex fairing system and concentrates it into a single plate mounted at the rear of the trailer. This removes unnecessary components while retaining the primary aerodynamic benefit, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding aerodynamic components to the front or sides of the trailer (conventional approach), the invention places a simple plate at the rear bottom of the trailer. This inverted approach targets the area where airflow separation occurs, achieving drag reduction with minimal complexity.
2Loss of energy
If fairings are mounted along each side of the trailer to reduce drag, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the ability to move wheel sets is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the wheel set movement constraint by eliminating side-mounted fairings that would physically block or complicate wheel set repositioning. The single rear plate does not interfere with wheel set mobility while still providing aerodynamic benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
By inverting the conventional fairing placement from side-mounted to rear-bottom mounted, the design eliminates the conflict between aerodynamic components and wheel set movement, allowing full adaptability in wheel set positioning.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional fairing systems are used to reduce drag, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the core drag reduction function from complex multi-component fairing systems and implements it through a single simple plate. This eliminates unnecessary structural elements while maintaining aerodynamic effectiveness, thereby reducing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By inverting the conventional approach of adding complex aerodynamic shapes to the front/sides, the design uses a simple plate at the rear bottom. This simplifies the device while effectively managing aerodynamic drag through a different geometric approach.
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 drag reduction plate and structure effectively decrease drag by up to 5%, improving fuel efficiency while being more economical and flexible than traditional fairing systems, accommodating wheel set repositioning without inhibiting trailer movement.
Implementation Method 1
the fact remains that significant aerodynamic losses occur as a result of trailer design, especially at high speed
Data Source
AI summary
A drag reduction plate is provided for trailers that are towed by vehicles along a roadway or highway, where the trailer typically has a box-like construction having a bottom, top, front, back, and sides, and at least one wheel set near the back end and below the bottom thereof. The drag reduction plate is a rigid or semi-rigid plate secured to and depending vertically downwardly from the bottom of the trailer and being disposed along a portion of the length of the trailer forwardly of the at least one wheel set. A drag reduction structure comprises a drag reduction plate and a pair of deflector plates also depending vertically downwardly from the bottom of a trailer; and extending outwardly and rearwardly from the rear end of the rigid or semi-rigid plate in a region which is forward of the at least one wheel set. The outer edges of the deflector plates are located at positions which are wider than the outer width of the wheel set.