Optimization of Trailer Boat Tail using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations

使用计算流体动力学模拟优化拖车尾部

• 批准号: 530735-2018
• 负责人: Liu, Kefu
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: Lakehead University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Engage Grants Program
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=657780
• 关键词: Optimization; Trailer; Boat; Tail; using

Transtex Composite is pioneer manufacturer and designer of aerodynamic devices for the transportation**industry. Currently, the company has focused on the design and manufacturing of trailer side skirts and boat**tails to reduce the underneath and rear drag force on trailers. The preliminary model of the boat tail is designed**using the wind tunnel test results. However, improving their product and finalizing its design need more**experimental results. The wind tunnel experiment is costly, and it cannot provide all details of flow around the**boat tail. Other types of flow visualization techniques cannot be used to study the flow over a moving truck**especially in the actual scale. Therefore, utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling is proposed**for the company to simulate the flow around a moving truck-trailer with a boat tail. Working on the**aerodynamic improvement of different truck bodies has been the focus of various research groups in the**automotive industries [1-3]. This effort has identified drag producing flow structures around heavy vehicles**and designed different add-on devices to reduce drag and improve the road fuel economy [4,5]. The drag force**can be reduced by modifying the rear end of the trailer and manipulate the near wakes. Boat tails are the**devices that can be used in this regard [6-8]. Various studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of**boat tail on reducing aerodynamic drag on the trailer [9, 10]. However, information regarding the flow behavior**around the boat tail especially in real scale is limited [11]. In this research, a set of CFD simulations will be**conducted to calculate the critical forces on the boat tail. Base on the CFD results, the performance of the**preliminary Transtex boat tail will be evaluated, and recommendations and suggestions will be provided to the**Transtex R&D team to improve their products. Also, the results of this research will be utilized as input for**Finite Element Analysis of the boat tail components such as joints and connections. The amount of fuel which**is used by a track to transfer between two points in Canada can be reduced dramatically when the drag**reduction facilities attached to trailers and consequently CO2 emission will be cut up to 8% in long distances.

Transtex复合材料是运输行业空气动力装置的先驱制造商和设计师。目前，公司专注于设计和制造拖车侧裙和船尾，以减少拖车的下方和后方阻力。利用风洞试验结果设计了艇尾的初步模型。然而，改进他们的产品并最终确定其设计需要更多的实验结果。风洞实验成本高昂，而且无法提供船尾周围流动的所有细节。其他类型的流动可视化技术不能用于研究移动卡车上的流动，特别是在实际规模下。因此，该公司提出利用计算流体动力学（CFD）建模**来模拟带有船尾的移动卡车拖车周围的流动。研究不同卡车车身的空气动力学改进一直是汽车行业各个研究小组关注的焦点[1-3]。这项工作已经确定了重型车辆周围产生阻力的流动结构，并设计了不同的附加装置来减少阻力，提高道路燃油经济性[4,5]。阻力**可以通过修改拖车的后端和操纵近尾迹来减小。船尾就是在这方面可以使用的**装置[6-8]。已有多项研究探讨了**艇尾对减少拖车气动阻力的影响[9,10]。然而，关于船尾周围流动特性的信息是有限的，特别是在实际尺度上。在本研究中，将进行一组CFD模拟来计算艇尾的临界力。基于CFD结果，将对**初步Transtex艇尾的性能进行评估，并向**Transtex研发团队提供改进产品的建议和建议。同时，本研究结果将作为船尾接头、连接等构件**有限元分析的输入。在加拿大，当拖车上安装了减阻装置后，在两个地点之间运输的轨道所使用的燃料量可以大大减少，因此在长途运输中，二氧化碳排放量将减少8%。