Truck Aerodynamics

Our group is interested in reducing aerodynamic drag on tractor-trailers and in evaluating the ability of turbulent models to predict bluff-body wakes

• We have applied both steady-state RANS and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) to simplified truck geometries
• We have also investigated the use of CFD for design optimization of drag reduction devices for trucks
• Collaborators: Drs. Roy Hartfield and Anwar Ahmed of Auburn University and Dr. Matt Barone of Sandia National Labs

References

• C. J. Roy, J. L. Payne, and M. A. McWherter-Payne, "RANS Simulations of a Simplified Tractor/Trailer Geometry," ASME Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 128, No. 5, 2006, pp. 1083-1089.
• M. A. Barone and C. J. Roy, "Evaluation of Detached Eddy Simulation for Turbulent Wake Applications," AIAA Journal, Vol. 44, No. 12, 2006, pp. 3062-3071.
• C. J. Roy and H. Ghuge, "Detached Eddy Simulations of a Simplified Tractor/Trailer Geometry," Presented at The Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles II: Trucks, Buses, and Trains, Engineering Conferences International, Lake Tahoe, California, August 26-31, 2007.
• S. P. Veluri, C. J. Roy, A. Ahmed, R. Rifki, J. C. Worley, and B. Recktenwald, “Joint Computational/Experimental Aerodynamic Study of a Simplified Tractor/Trailer Geometry,” Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 131, No. 8, August 2009, 9 pages (DOI: 10.1115/1.3155995).
• J. Doyle, R. Hartfield, and C. J. Roy, “Aerodynamic Optimization for Freight Trucks using a Genetic Algorithm and CFD,” AIAA Paper 2008-323, 46th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, Nevada, January 7-10, 2008
• J. A. Freeman and C. J. Roy, “Application of Optimization Under Uncertainty: 2-D Tractor-Trailer Base Flaps,” AIAA Paper 2012-0671, 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, 09 - 12 January 2012, Nashville, Tennessee.