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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Aerodynamic drag reduction apparatus for gap-divided bluff bodies such as tractor-trailers

Patent ·
OSTI ID:908347

An apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a bluff-bodied vehicle such as a tractor-trailer in a flowstream, the bluff-bodied vehicle of a type having a leading portion, a trailing portion connected to the leading portion, and a gap between the leading and trailing portions defining a recirculation zone. The apparatus is preferably a baffle assembly, such as a vertical panel, adapted to span a width of the gap between the leading and trailing portions so as to impede cross-flow through the gap, with the span of the baffle assembly automatically adjusting for variations in the gap width when the leading and trailing portions pivot relative to each other.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
Sponsoring Organization:
United States Department of Energy
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Assignee:
The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
7,073,845
Application Number:
10/786,398
OSTI ID:
908347
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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