Development of Active Flow Control for Trucks

Paper i proceeding, 2018

The possibility to actively control the external aerodynamic of vehicles is an attractive yet challenging solution to decrease the aerodynamic drag and the fuel consumption. The work flow that describes the implementation of an Active Flow Control (AFC), for the suppression of the separated flow at the A-pillar of a truck, is summarised in this paper. The presented work spans from a theoretical verification of the method to a preliminary implementation of an AFC on a real full-scale truck cabin. The study involves numerical (CFD) and experimental work, including aerodynamic test in a full scale wind tunnel. The initial CFD simulations of a simplified A-pillar were performed using turbulence resolving numerical method large-eddy simulations (LES). A second step consisted in simulation of a simplified truck cabin using hybrid Partially-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations (PANS). The AFC was created using synthetic jets produced by the use of loudspeakers mounted in the A-pillars of the model. The numerical and experimental investigations were used to optimise the actuation parameters leading to maximum drag reduction. The final step of the validation of the AFC concept was achieved with a full scale test experimental campaign of a Volvo Truck cabin equipped with the studied AFC device.