Arizona Patent of the Month – July 2022
Long-haul cargo trucks and trailers are often limited by their size and shape. These factors make them less aerodynamic and reduce their performance and efficiency on any highway setting. At highway speeds, these trailers experience a great deal of turbulent airflow between their axles, creating aerodynamic drag which in turn increases both fuel consumption and Nitrogen Oxide emissions. The increased and sustained vibrations also create premature wear and can create noise that is damaging to the driver over time. While some design considerations have been made to try and improve this, Strehl, LLC (Fleet Aero) has taken it further with their recently patented aerodynamic design.
Their design uses an aerodynamic fairing skirt to reduce drag and turbulent airflow. A combination of front, side, and rear skirts ensures there is no room for turbulent air to reach the axles or undercarriage. The side skirt is mounted adjacent to the underside of the cargo trailer and is angled out slightly. These fairings are designed to reduce drag while still providing airflow to the brakes on tires so that they do not overheat. The rear skirt fairing extends out past the side skirt fairings, creating improved aerodynamics by preventing the airflow from swirling around the back. Instead, the air is directed off the rear-end in a way that ensures non-linear airflow is achieved.
Fleet Aero are experts in trucks, with fairing designs that can be adjusted to suit any truck size, length, or type. At highway speed, aerodynamic drag accounts for more than half of your fleet’s fuel consumption. For this reason, the addition of a properly designed fairing skirt is the quickest and most cost effective way to reduce your fleet’s fuel consumption and carbon footprint.
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