Researchers have found a way to stop the wind from making the truck resist its way that makes it use more fuel when travelling. They have made an electric wind resistant design similar to airplanes wings.
There are vortex generators on airplane wings that help it go with the wind and use less fuel. These are little fins or wings that are stopping the wind that stops the planes when landing and taking off. Now, the same researchers are thinking of copying it and making a version of it for trucks. However, unlike the solid ones in the airplanes, the wind resistant design the researchers will use are invisible electric ones for the trucks, reported Phys.org.
The wind resistant design that are electric wind vortex will decrease the way trucks use fuel, KTH researcher Julie Vernet said. There will be a five percent decrease on a flat-nosed, cab-over-engine trucks that are widely used all over Europe and Japan. On the other hand, the materials used for the electric wind are plasma actuators. They are things that use high voltage between two electrodes. The air molecules that are around the vortex will become ionized and it will accelerate, going in the electric field.
It will then become the wind. Moreover, there is no need for solid materials. The electric wind, though invisible, is very strong and can adapt well to every type of wind, whatever direction it goes the wind resistant design it has will help it achieve that. In the mean time, a truck company, StemCo has also released a type of their product that saves 10 percent of fuel. It helps the trailer trucks to stop resisting to winds with its trailer trail quality.
Meanwhile, trucks cannot have things sticking out from inside to out, said project supervisor Henrik Alfredsson, Professor of Fluid Physics at KTH. This is one way to achieve those, he added. the wind resistant design goal is to "reduce the flow separation that occurs on the front corners of the truck," Vernet said. "By adding momentum close to the surface, the size of the separated region is reduced," she added.
With this new invention, there will be less fuel demand and more fuel will be saved. The wind resistant design for truck will help drivers. Everything will be better for the environment and the people alike.
