Skip to Navigation
Auburn University Homepage
A-Z Index | Map | People Finder
Auburn University Logo
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Skip to Main Content
Main Navigation 
  • AUETD Home
  • Graduate School
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
View Item 
  •   AUETD Home
  • View Item
  •   AUETD Home
  • View Item

Computational Characterization of Drag Reduction for Platooning Heavy Vehicles

View/Open
watts_thesis.pdf (7.345Mb)
Date
2015-05-06
Author
Watts, Andrew
Type of Degree
Master's Thesis
Department
Aerospace Engineering
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
This thesis uses Computational Fluid Dynamics to analyze the aerodynamic properties of multiple heavy vehicle groups in leader-follower configurations, referred to as platoons. The primary metric of interest is the resistive aerodynamic force experienced in the freestream direction, commonly known as drag. The computational model first was validated using a simplified car body for both single and multiple body simulations. After validation, three platooning topics were examined: two vehicle platoons, three vehicle platoons, and multiple geometry two vehicle platoons. It was discovered that at close distances the follower vehicle interferes with the formation of the leader vehicle wake, offering significant drag reduction for both vehicles. At larger distances, it was found that the follower vehicle experiences near constant benefit until the end of the lead vehicle slipstream, at which point the drag rapidly transitions to the single vehicle value. Upon analysis of three vehicle platoons, it was observed that the interior vehicle drag could be reduced below that of the outer vehicles at small spacings and thus larger platoons can offer more benefit per vehicle than their smaller counterparts. Upon investigation of platoons with multiple geometries, it was discovered that placing the least aerodynamic vehicle in the follow position offers the most potential for overall platoon drag reduction.
Files
Name:
watts_thesis.pdf  
Size:
7.345Mb
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10415/4576

Browse

All of AUETDBy Issue DateAuthor / AdvisorTitlesDepartments

My Account

Login

Auburn University Libraries | 231 Mell Street | Auburn, Alabama 36849 | (334) 844-4500 or (800) 446-0387 |

 

Auburn University |Auburn, Alabama 36849 |(334) 844-4000 |

Website Feedback |Privacy |Copyright ©