Computational investigation on drag coefficient and pressure distribution of the truck with add-on

The current demand for reducing the drag coefficient represents one of the most significant challenges for all truck manufacturers. Fuel consumption can be improved via aerodynamic effects, which lower the vehicle’s drag coefficient. The external truck body design aids in lowering the drag coefficient, which lowers fuel consumption. The numerical study was executed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics package, which is STAR CCM+, to investigate the coefficient of drag and surface pressure distributions of the truck with add on. Truck geometries have been designed in Autodesk Fusion-360 within standard geometry with variations in shape and external drag-reducing devices. NASA’s experimental value of Generic Conventional Model had a drag coefficient of 0.4267. In contrast, the truck trailer geometry with add-ons had a drag coefficient of 0.35777 is obtained, resulting in a 19.28% decrease in the drag coefficient. Further, a 19.28% decrease could result in 7% fuel savings on a level road.