Accordion Kammback for big rigs ?

[Vekke]

Blue bombers idea is brilliant! roll curtains?

You should only choose a fabric which flex little so you wouldnt tear the curtain in pieces when you ride in rough terrain.

I have thougth of that thing and truck aeromodding for one month of time, because I have plans to start aeromodding firm for trucks here in finland. So all ideas are welcome to this post .

[botsapper]

Another answer to the same questions.
Applicable to answer (could be modified to solve, tractor/trailer gaps) trailer boattail aerodynamics, this relatively inexpensive & easily deploy-able idea may work for most aero-improvement situations. Could be retro fitted to many older model designs & actuated by operators' air systems.
FuelSaver by ATS™

Besides offering tractor boattail form when not pulling cargo, I could imagine the side bags at full pressure to seal tractor/trailer gap. There is corresponding electronic valving controls releasing pressure on the inside bag when taking tight turning maneuvers, re-inflating when in a straight line configuration.

[FastPlastic]

Looks like the type of thing that should be mounted a little lower. That way the car behind it just bounces off when it gets too close.

[botsapper]

Yeah, that would make a lot of fellow hyper-milers, here @ ecomodder.com for their best-ever mileage numbers. Drafting made a little safer...

[Vekke]

There are some information about truck fuel economy:

http://www.everytime.cummins.com/ass...Whitepaper.pdf

Enjoy

[Visioneer]

Post for a trucker.

Love the ideas.

My thoughts are an inflatable accorridan, with vinyl flap scales on the outside. Make it look cool (?reflective material, lights?) truckers will buy it.

Peterbuilt made a model based on the NASA picture displayed in this thread and it did get 10 mpg before computer controlled injectors, but fuel was a buck .xxx and no one bought the truck, and after a number of years the model was dropped.

Sitting ontop of a hot and loud diesel engine with cramped space and the prospect of an exploding turbocharger coming into the cabin made the NASA cabover unpopular. But if all those issues were addressed & the space saved by not having a hood was put to good use, such as a greatly expanded sleeper cab, this NASA configured cab-over would be popular.