Turning NASA's 'Shoebox' into a Slipper - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

aerohead · 07-18-2015, 05:08 PM

I picked up where NASA left off with their 'Shoebox' van streamlining and took it to completion.
Starting from their fully-boat-tailed Cd 0.238 van I:
*added body side camber (Buchheim,Deutenbach,and L'u'ckoff)
*added upper edge radii (Hucho)
*added roof camber (Buchheim,Leie,and L'u'ckoff)
*added wheel skirts (Heltemes,Tremulis,Cogotti,Garrone,and Masoero)
*added MOON-esque wheel covers (Shinella,Tsukada,Sakagami,Arai,and Takahara)
*and full wheel fairings (Tamai),allowing 50% of Tamai's factor allowing for wider tires (SWAG).

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We'd have to add back in some features drag associated with a working cooling system,wipers,and mirrors,but that's not a lot of fruit to put back on the tree considering the GM Precept concept car.
PS these are just estimates but should fall close to the tree.

Hersbird · 07-18-2015, 07:02 PM

Now if somebody would make an RV like that with a I4 Cummins for power. Bed in the tail like a V-berth in the front of a boat. Make the interior 6 1/2' tall in the center and make it 7' wide. What would the frontal area be about for that?
I bet it could get 30 mpg

or maybe better yet this motor
http://cumminshub.com/2.8l-cummins.html

Grant-53 · 07-18-2015, 07:23 PM

Angle back the windshield a bit too as some newer buses are doing.

freebeard · 07-19-2015, 02:54 PM

You've effectively re-contoured the entire body. Why not start with a
Bowlus Road Chief? They are being cloned today.

The 'tow vehicle' could be a Tesla drive train/Segway hybrid that would drive, steer and brake—with a trailer hitch. It could have a head like that BB-8 droid in Star Wars Episode Seven.

aerohead · 07-20-2015, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Now if somebody would make an RV like that with a I4 Cummins for power. Bed in the tail like a V-berth in the front of a boat. Make the interior 6 1/2' tall in the center and make it 7' wide. What would the frontal area be about for that?
I bet it could get 30 mpg

or maybe better yet this motor
2.8L Cummins I-4 Turbodiesel Specs

Frontal area would be about 38.22 sq-ft for the cabin,plus axle and tires,'n anything else.
Seems like a modern TDI engine would have no trouble with 30-mpg,since Jettas are pulling Sport Airstreams at 32-mpg.