DRAG REDUCTION OBTAINED BY THE ADDITION OF A BOATTAIL TO A BOX SHAPED VEHICLE

Coast down tests were performed on a box shaped ground vehicle used to simulate the aerodynamic drag of high volume transports such as delivery vans, motor homes and trucks. The results of these tests define the reduction in aerodynamic drag that can be obtained by the addition of either a boattail or a truncated boattail to an otherwise blunt based vehicle. Test velocities ranged up to 96.6 km/h (60 mph) with Reynolds numbers to 1.3 x 10 the 7th power. The full boattail provided an average 32 percent reduction in drag at highway speeds whereas the truncated boattail provided an average 31 percent reduction in drag as compared to the configuration having the blunt base. These results are compared with one tenth scale wind tunnel model data.

• Corporate Authors:

  California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

  Department of Computer Science
  1 Grand Avenue
  San Luis Obispo, CA  United States  93407

  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  600 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20546
• Authors:
  • Peterson, R L
• Publication Date: 1981-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 32 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamics; Drag; Equations of motion; Flow visualization; Fuel consumption; Mobile homes; Rectangles; Reduction (Chemistry); Reynolds number; Simulation; Streamlining; Trucks; Vans; Vehicle design; Wheels
• Old TRIS Terms: Blunt bodies; Boattails; Drag reduction; Reduction
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Highways; Motor Carriers; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00344683
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NASA-CR-163113 MS Thesis
• Contract Numbers: NCC4-1ct
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 22 1982 12:00AM