Daimler Trucks North America LLC

Bruno Banceu

John Brzustowicz

Justin Yee

Matthew G Markstaller

Matthew Guilfoyle

Matthew C C Rogers

Robert McFarlane

Blake Kashiwagi

Donald G Smith

Adjustable aerodynamic devices are controlled to control the drag on a vehicle. In one form, control is accomplished in response to pressure from a plurality of pressure sensors. In another form, control is accomplished in response to air movement measurements, such as of wind speed and direction at a location that a vehicle has yet to reach. In another form, the position and location of air vortices between a cab and trailer can be determined and adjusted to adjust the drag by controlling aerodynamic devices.

Dynamically adjustable aerodynamic vehicle devices

A vehicle supporting platform can be supported at plural locations (e.g., four locations) from below such that the platform can pivot fore to aft and side to side in response to the impact of wind on a vehicle on the platform. In a desirable form, the platform is suspended by four suspension rods or cables that loosely support the respective corners of a platform supporting structure. The platform supporting structure can be positioned in a bay beneath the floor level. Although a different number of sensors can be used, in one approach there is one aft motion sensor coupled to the front of the floor supporting frame and a wall portion of the bay and two side sensors, one adjacent to the front of the platform and the other adjacent to the rear of the platform. Both of the side sensors can be on the same side of the platform. A double ball joint can be used to couple the sensor to the structure in one embodiment to eliminate off axis loading. A structure such as a locking collar arrangement can be used in an embodiment to facilitate disconnecting the sensor from the platform.

Vehicle wind tunnel balance

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Camas, WA, United States of America

Bruno Banceu