AERODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF PASSING VEHICLES

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES AN INVESTIGATION THAT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE LATERAL FORCES AND MOMENTS PRODUCED ON A VEHICLE WITH LARGE FLAT LATERAL FACES WHEN IT IS PASSING OR BEING PASSED BY A LARGE VEHICLE IN AN ADJACENT TRAFFIC LANE. THE FORCES AND MOMENTS WERE DETERMINED FROM TESTS THAT WERE CONDUCTED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE SUBSONIC WIND TUNNEL. THEY WERE, THEN, INPUT TO A COMPUTERIZED VEHICLE MODEL TO FIND THE RESULTING DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF THE VEHICLE. THESE FORCES AND MOMENTS WERE SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT LATERAL DEVIATION FROM THE DESIRED PATH OF THE VEHICLE. RESULTING FROM THIS INVESTIGATION, SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE TO IMPROVE HIGHWAY SAFETY.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No SAE 730687
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering
  414 Dougherty Engineering Building
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996

  Air Force Department /US

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Johnson, W S
  • Speckhart, F H
  • Bridwell, R E
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 5 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamics; Dynamic loads; Passing; Vehicle dynamics; Wind tunnels; Yaw
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dynamic response; Lateral loads
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224345
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 16 1974 12:00AM