Design modification on Indian Road Vehicles to Reduce Aerodynamic Drag

Reducing vehicle fuel consumption has become one of the most important issues in recent years. Aerodynamic drag contributes to 50-60% of fuel consumption in trucks on highways. Vehicle aerodynamic performance is mainly determined by drag coefficient, which directly affects engine requirements and fuel consumption. It's well known that drag changes in a crosswind compared with a condition without a crosswind, and that the change depends on the vehicle shape. Pressure drag, a major drag for trucks as they run at lower speeds is produced by the shape of the object. Therefore, addition of some components can suffice the need. The vehicle has been designed by using Catia and then analysed with CFD. The values are compared and the resultant drag reduction is calculated.