Proper full-size teardrop trailers

[DON-BUR]

I'm fascinated that this new concept has generated such a global response!

Just to clarify - the rear doors have indeed been lowered very slightly by 300mm from a standard height trailer. This amount is enough to make a significant reduction in the CD but doesn't restrict access as most operators do not require the circa 2500mm aperture. The majority of cages/pallets are only loaded up to 1.8/1.9m.

The cab gap does look very small; however, at the base of the front bulkhead, the gap is standard with a 1600mm measurement from the kingpin to the front of the trailer at this point. The top, obviously, curves forward by 300mm and causes this interesting optical illusion. Drivers do not need to slide the fifth wheel and everything fits into the 2040mm radius swing clearance.

It's interesting to note that the Tractor units now appear the be the least aerodynamic aspect of the combination and we look forward with anticipation to major investment from the truck guys to come up with something that offers a better start to the Teardrop shape.

An improvement in the horizontal plane of the trailer would indeed be a major acheivement as we are limited in the UK to a 2550mm width. Any streamlining on this plane would severly affect load space.

Here comes more math...

Commercially available Deisel here in the UK is roughly 0.75 pence sterling ($1.5) per litre. With the average normal box shape tractor/trailer running at about 3.7 km/ltr, you can understand the significance when each combination does around 100,000kms a year, (circa 27,000 litres) resulting in an annual fuel bill per trailer of $40,500!

A 10% saving here would be a tidy $4,000. Multiply that by the fleet number and .......

[Steve F]

I'd like to see that tried here on some of our long distance "Road Trains" 53metres and 115ton for the 3 trailer ones. Some are 7 trailers but not many of them.



Cheers
Steve

[pieface]

I'm fascinated that this new concept has generated such a global response!

It's interesting to note that the Tractor units now appear the be the least aerodynamic aspect of the combination and we look forward with anticipation to major investment from the truck guys to come up with something that offers a better start to the Teardrop shape.

Wow!!! Don-Bur on a Teardrop forum, now that's a first .
Talk about David & Goliath

Perhaps this concept truck from way back would fit the bill.

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Pieface

[angib]

Hmmmm..... Luigi Colani design. Here's a whole one - pretty close to what Richard needs:



And here's an album of Colani trucks. These are 'semi-prototypes' - I think there's less than 10 of them in all. The continuously-rotating wipers are either weird or clever.

Richard, the risk with improving the airflow around the sides of the truck is that it will create an aerofoil in plan view - so side wind effects will increase a lot, which is not what most truckers want..... The current fairly-square cab with (in Europe) wind deflector vanes on the corners to keep the airflow more-or-less attached is probably optimum here - in any side wind, the airflow detaches from that corner and so 'stalls' the truck aerofoil, minimising lift/side force.

Andrew