Abstract
An accurate and repeatable measurement of truck-induced spray is required to develop and test spray-reducing devices. Such a system is described, based on a sequence of CCD-captured video images of a black and white chequerboard which was partially obscured by spray from a passing test truck. Images were analyzed to reveal the contrast changes, from which spray densities were inferred. Results of on-road trials are described and it was found that none of the tested wheel-mounted systems offered any statistically significant reduction in spray. Supporting track and wind-tunnel tests documented the flow vectors close to the truck; for an unmodified vehicle and when fitted with sideskirts and a cab-mounted add-on aerodynamic device. It was concluded from the flow field studies that the problem of vision impairment for a passing motorist would be significantly reduced when sideskirts and (for vehicles hauling a high load) correctly-matched cab roof deflectors were fitted. This offers the trucking industry the combined advantages of drag and spray reduction.
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Watkins, S. (2009). Spray from Commercial Vehicles: A Method of Evaluation and Results from Road Tests. In: Browand, F., McCallen, R., Ross, J. (eds) The Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles II: Trucks, Buses, and Trains. Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics, vol 41. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85070-0_36
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85070-0_36
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