3D Aerodynamic Simulation of the Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle

Abstract

Owing to the fast development in the automotive field, the demands are focused on simultaneous improvement of performance, efficiency of fuel and comfort. In addition to these demands, there are other important points that should be taken into consideration such as reduction of the costs of maintenance and the environmental factors. All these requirements inherently contribute to develop the automotive field. Owing to the high prices of oil, the mechanical designers focus to reduce the fuel consumption as much as possible, and to achieve this objective, the resistance forces (drag force) that occur during vehicle operation should be reduced. In order to reduce the drag force, it is necessary for the vehicle to have a very good aerodynamic shape (low drag coefficient). The aim of this research paper is to analyze the typical designs of trucks that made by various manufacturers, and present the solutions that will reduce the effect of the shortcomings on the aerodynamic performance of the trucks. Numerical analysis was performed using Ansys software 14.5 [Fluid Flow (CFX)]. The results present air flow and the pressure distributions for different models of heavy duty trucks.