Friday 7 January 2011

New lorry trailers could save fuel and energy

Engineers at Warwickshire based firm MIRA have developed a unique design for box trailers which they claim reduces total drag by a third and cuts CO2 emissions by almost 20%.

Using computer design simulations MIRA improved the aerodynamics of a standard 4.5m box trailer by giving it the same drag as one that was only 4m.

Senior Engineer, Dr Anthony Baxendale said: "We modified the trailer shape to maximise aerodynamic efficiency without compromising overall load space. We then added underbody panels to the cab and trailer to further minimise drag - the result of which was a reduction of up to 30%."

MIRA claim the resulting fuel savings and reduction in CO2 emissions mean the cost of the adaptations to the trailer could be recouped by fleet operators within 12 months. The enhancements can also be applied to curtain-sided trailers - making it highly commercially viable.

Lorry makers are now interested in MIRA's design which won an award from the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership in November.