Report: Improving the Aero Characteristics of a Dodge Ram Pickup Truck

[MetroMPG]

Thanks for the explanation.

I was thinking the same thing - about the possible tilt. Perhaps I'll get the answer from the author this week.

It's possible too that the scale doesn't necessarily have to physically move much to register the pressure on it. They could also play with fulcrum location to optimize - I'm sure they considered these things.

[Glee17]

Originally Posted by aerohead

I guess people can research this stuff to death if they want to,but if universities are duplicating effort,its a waste of precious resources.

This was an undergraduate senior project, not a sponsored grad student research project. This college allows students after 3 years of theory to perform a hands on project from start to finish. The students create a test procedure, perform tests, interpret data, re-perform tests, write a report, then present their findings to their peers. None of their results need to be correct, it is really a full immersion method to learn the process they may have to do in the real world.

Originally Posted by aerohead

I think pickup airflow is now firmly understood and people ought to just build what's been known to work for a long time now.There aren't going to be any "breakthroughs",Earthlings need to move on to new challenges.

The majority of people in the world (including student engineers) have no idea what is aerodynamic or not. By performing testing that helps reinforce the aerodynamic concepts known to people here, that aerodynamic knowledge may be passed on to others who don't subscribe to the Pop. Sci. way of thinking.

Geoff

[Glee17]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

It's possible too that the scale doesn't necessarily have to physically move much to register the pressure on it. They could also play with fulcrum location to optimize - I'm sure they considered these things.

This is true, however, I think some people were using rods no bigger that coat hangers to minimize the air drag from the rod and ended up with bad data because the rod would bend and tilt the model.

[ptg0]

I suggest that you review Prof. Kamm's aerodynamic theories. I think that you will find that the traditional pickup truck CAN benefit from MY simple modification which smooths the airflow over the rear of the vehicle, taking full advantage of his theory. You know, the "large bubble of air" that exists in the rear of the vehicle that "aerodynamicists" claim to use as a design feature exists because of the 10 sq. ft of additional frontal area
created by having a tailgate in place. My boxes eliminate the "bubble" and drag and provide substantial gains in fuel economy. By the way, wind tunnel tests are generally conducted to determine improvements or enhancements.
Vehicles are NEVER designed with aerodynamics solely in mind. Aerodynamics is secondary to ergonomics, crash and powertrain package. There is a lot of room for improvements on ALL trucks. www.alateinc.com

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Glee17

This was an undergraduate senior project, not a sponsored grad student research project. This college allows students after 3 years of theory to perform a hands on project from start to finish. The students create a test procedure, perform tests, interpret data, re-perform tests, write a report, then present their findings to their peers. None of their results need to be correct, it is really a full immersion method to learn the process they may have to do in the real world.



The majority of people in the world (including student engineers) have no idea what is aerodynamic or not. By performing testing that helps reinforce the aerodynamic concepts known to people here, that aerodynamic knowledge may be passed on to others who don't subscribe to the Pop. Sci. way of thinking.

Geoff

Geoff,I apologize if my comments came off as a personal attack,that was not my intent.What frustrates me is that there is a firmly established body of knowledge which has undergone independent,empirical verification at one of the world's most renowned wind-tunnel facilities,and it appears to pass without notice.Its as if PhDs are standing around arguing about how to design a manual typewriter,when laptop computer and word-processing technology exists.If working through a complete exercise, as was done by the students, was the premise of the education,well then they succeeded.If they published their work to push the state-of-the-art in pickup truck drag reduction,what am I or anyone else to think,when all this work was already accomplished in the 1980s and no mention of it made.It's like digging the same hole over and over again.And shouldn't students embarking on a project(any project) check their environment to see what has already been accomplished,and expand beyond level of intellectual achievement? Sorry,I'm probably to "close" to these issues,as I see ramifications of folly rippling out throughout the globe.

[ptg0]

They do when they are in the airflow,idiot

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by ptg0

They do when they are in the airflow,idiot

LOL do you keep you tail gate on top of the roof?

[ptg0]

Actually, I discovered that after driving pickup trucks for 35 years that I dont use the tailgate very often. I leave it at home unless I need it. Otherwise, I have tiedowns
and I keep ropes and chains in the boxes. I also offer 2 versions of stowable tailgates that are kept stowed until required.

[ptg0]

Aerohead- good response. I discovered that 25 years ago. GIGO Garbage in, garbage out. These people only know how to solve problems with what they have been taught.
"You cannot solve problems using the logic that created them" AE If you can only solve problems using what you know from training then there can be no problems. All that you have been taught provides the answers to ALL problems so all of the answers are already known. Thats why we have "alternative energy" instead of solutions to the problem. If our government is so interested in solving our energy problems why is the Department of Energy's program for energy conservation and innovation not funded? With the oil companies making 11 BILLION per quarter, why is there no tax to fund energy conservation programs?

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by ptg0

Actually, I discovered that after driving pickup trucks for 35 years that I dont use the tailgate very often. I leave it at home unless I need it. Otherwise, I have tiedowns
and I keep ropes and chains in the boxes. I also offer 2 versions of stowable tailgates that are kept stowed until required.

Tail gates do not affect frontal area one way or another.