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8th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference (TFEC)
March, 26-29, 2023, College Park, MD, USA

INFLUENCE OF MUDFLAPS AND LOADING ON THEWAKE OF A SIMPLIFIED EARTHWORKS DUMP TRUCK

Get access (open in a dialog) pages 1029-1038
DOI: 10.1615/TFEC2023.exp.045910

Abstract

In the last decades, significant efforts have been made to improve the aerodynamic performance of passenger vehicles. However, less attention has been paid to earth-moving trucks which are still a major source of particulate pollutants, especially when moving on unpaved roads. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of the flow developing behind an earth-moving truck for different experimental conditions. For this purpose, a wind tunnel study was carried out using a 2D LDV system for velocity field measurements in the wake of a reduced-scale Mercedes 8×4 truck. These measurements were limited to the upper wake zone starting from 0.2h above the ground level (h being the height of the truck model). Three loading states were simulated: an empty dump box, a horizontal loading, and an overload. Additional configurations were simulated by adding a rectangular piece of plastic (a mud flap) behind the wheels. Lastly, a cuboid filling the gap between the cab and the dump box was used to assess the effect of preventing the air from entering this region on the wake flow properties. The measurements were conducted at U = 12m/s (Reh = 51, 210). They were taken in the vehicle's symmetry plan and in two side plans located behind the wheels. For each case, the averaged and turbulent flow fields were characterized. The main results show that the mud flap and the horizontal loading reduce the wake turbulence, which could play an important role in the air quality improvement in the earthworks sites with respect to dust emission and dispersion.