Trailer Underbody Fairing with Telescopic Bogie Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fairings on tractor-trailer combinations do not effectively extend beyond the trailer wheel assemblies, leading to aerodynamic losses, reduced fuel efficiency, and safety risks due to exposed areas, while also obstructing access to the underside for maintenance and inspections.
Innovation Solution
A fairing design that extends from the front to the rear of the trailer, accommodating longitudinal adjustment of the wheel bogie assembly, with a movable structure that can be opened for access and closed to cover the bogie assembly, featuring a telescopic panel system and a flexible skirt to minimize drag and enhance safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the fairing is extended to cover the wheel bogie assembly, then aerodynamic efficiency is improved, but access to the underside for maintenance and inspections is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing is designed to be movable between an open position (providing access to the underside) and a closed position (covering the wheel bogie assembly to reduce aerodynamic losses). This dynamic configuration allows the fairing to adapt its state based on operational requirements, resolving the contradiction between aerodynamic efficiency and maintenance accessibility.
2Productivity
If the fairing is made fixed to maximize aerodynamic coverage, then fuel efficiency is improved, but adaptability to longitudinal adjustment of the wheel bogie assembly is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing incorporates telescopic panels that can extend and retract to accommodate the longitudinal adjustment of the wheel bogie assembly. This dynamic structure allows the fairing to maintain optimal aerodynamic coverage while adapting to different positions of the wheel bogie, thus preserving fuel efficiency without sacrificing adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing is divided into multiple telescopic panels that can independently adjust their lengths. This segmentation allows each panel to adapt to the wheel bogie's position while maintaining continuous aerodynamic coverage, resolving the contradiction between fuel efficiency and adaptability.
3Reliability
If the fairing is extended beyond the wheel assemblies, then safety is improved by preventing object contact with wheels, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing extends beyond the wheel assemblies when in the closed position to prevent objects from contacting the wheels, improving safety. The movable design allows this extended coverage only when needed for aerodynamic efficiency, while simplifying the overall structure by using a single movable component rather than multiple fixed safety structures.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure pertains to fairings for use on a trailer having a movable bogie. In one implementation, panels of the fairing extend at least to a rear termination point of the movable bogie and include a slim hinge to prevent interference with a pair of wheels coupled to the bogie. Accordingly, implementations of the present disclosure include a fairing that allows for translation of the movable bogie, while also providing panel coverage up to and beyond a pair of wheels coupled to the bogie regardless of the bogie position relative to the trailer.