IMPROVED MEANS OF TRAILER BASE DRAG REDUCTION

UNITED STATES SEMI-TRAILER VANS EXPEND OVER 10 BILLION GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL PER YEAR MOVING AIR AROUND THE VEHICLES. THIS NEEDLESS WASTE OF FUEL INCREASES OUR IMPORT OIL DEPENDENCY, AS WELL AS ADDS NEEDLESS DIESEL EXHAUST CARCINOGENS INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE. RECENTLY, CONGRESSHAS ENACTED LEGISLATION WHICH PERMITS TRACTOR/SEMI-TRAILER LENGTH LIMITS TO BE EXCEEDED IF THE PURPOSE IS TO IMPROVE FUEL EFFICIENCY OF THE VEHICLE. A PREVIOUS NSF SBIR GRANT TO CONTINUUM DYNAMICS, INC. DEVELOPED A SIMPLE DEVICE WHICH WHEN ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF A TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK, REDUCED THE AERODYNAMIC DRAG OF THE VEHICLE BY 10%. WHILE THIS DRAG REDUCTION WOULD REPRESENT A FUEL SAVINGS TO THE NATION OF OVER ONE BILLION GALLONS OF FUEL EACH YEAR IF THISDEVICE WERE RETROFITTED TO THE EXISTING VAN FLEET, DRAG REDUCTIONS OF MORE THAN TWICE WHAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN OBTAINED ARE IN FACT POSSIBLE. THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO TEST AND DEMONSTRATE DEVICES WHICH APPROACH 20% OR MORE DRAG REDUCTION WHICH ARE STILL EASILY DEPLOYED AND RETROFIT TO THE EXISTING FLEET.