The aerodynamic performance of a platoon of lorries in close-proximity during an overtaking manoeuvre

Samuel David Marshall, Karl Snape, David Soper*, Mark Sterling, Stefanie Gillmeier

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

For the first time, this paper examines the aerodynamic forces that arise in a platoon of Heavy Goods Vehicle lorries travelling in close proximity during an overtaking manoeuvre. Through an in-depth programme of wind tunnel experiments it is demonstrated that there is a complex relationship between the drag and side force coefficients, with a possible hysteresis-like behaviour shown. The influence of the overtaken lorry on the overtaking lorry is shown to be key in terms of the aerodynamic-induced forces experienced by the latter. Furthermore, the overtaking lorry is shown to benefit aerodynamically from the overtaken lorry, and this is attributed to the elliptical nature of the Navier-Stokes equations. In addition to examining the forces that arise during overtaking, the variation of the wind-induced forces with respect to yaw on a single lorry is compared to those on a middle lorry in a 3-lorry platoon. The aerodynamic benefits arising from platooning/vehicles travelling in close proximity are again demonstrated, although it is shown that these benefits may only exist over a limited range of yaw angles, raising questions about the real-world application of this approach. This has important implications for platooning in crosswinds and the drag force reduction that is assumed due to platooning.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1356539
Number of pages13
JournalFrontiers in Future Transportation
Volume5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Apr 2024

Keywords

  • HGVs
  • vehicle aerodynamics
  • platooning
  • wind tunnel
  • vehicle overtaking

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