IMPROVING FUEL CONSUMPTION IN LARGE ROAD-GOING VEHICLES

摘要

The present invention provides a number of bodywork components that can be employed individually or in combination to improve the overall drag coefficient of a vehicle, especially an articulated heavy goods vehicle. The components have generally been developed with a view not only to reducing local drag but also to conditioning the airstream flowing around the vehicle. There is a benefit, for instance, in conditioning an airstream flowing around a cab unit (e.g. tractor unit of an articulated lorry) of a vehicle to provide a less turbulent airflow around the rear part of the vehicle (e.g. the traiter of an articulated vehicle). Likewise, similar benefits are obtained by conditioning airflow around the forward part of a vehicle traiter to provide less turbulent airflow around the rear part of the vehicle. The invention covers various aspects of the design of the cab unit (e.g. tractor unit of an articulated lorry) and of the vehicle traiter (e.g. semi-trailer).