Wheel fairing deflecting wind onto lower wheel

Abstract

An upper wheel fairing assembly for increasing the propulsive efficiency of a wheeled vehicle having wheels otherwise exposed to headwinds, comprising a deflector panel or skirt panel assembly mounted upstream in front of a wheel set, extending downward to not lower than the axle level, and arranged to deflect headwinds from impinging upon the high drag-inducing mechanically advantaged upper wheel surfaces downward onto the low drag-inducing mechanically disadvantaged lower wheel surfaces.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle, said vehicle having a vehicle body supported thereunder by a rearward wheel assembly wherein said wheel assembly would be otherwise exposed to a headwind in a flowstream when the vehicle is in forward motion, comprising a aerodynamic deflector panel assembly extending underneath the vehicle body and disposed attachably thereto aligned upstream in front of a proximate trailing wheel set comprising one or more wheels located on one of either lateral side of the wheel assembly, and comprising one or more panels with those portions of said panels disposed in direct alignment upstream in front of a wheel of the wheel assembly extending downward to a level not substantially lower than the level of a axle of the wheel assembly, with said deflector panel assembly disposed:
 to deflect the headwind away from impinging a frontal upper wheel surface located above the level of a axle of the wheel set and downward onto a exposed frontal lower wheel surface of the wheel set;   to leave the lower wheel surfaces below the level of the axle exposed to the impinging headwind; and   wherein the reduced drag on the upper wheel surfaces which have a mechanical advantage against propulsive counterforces applied at the axle, together with any increased drag on the lower wheel surfaces which suffer a mechanical disadvantage against propulsive counterforces applied at the axle, causes a reduction in overall drag and an increase in propulsive efficiency of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly extending laterally underneath the vehicle body and disposed at an inclined angle to deflect the headwinds otherwise impinging the frontal upper wheel surfaces downward onto the frontal lower wheel surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body;   further comprising a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body at a forwardly inclined angle;   further comprising a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body;   further comprising:
 a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and 
 a wheel skirt panel assembly located adjacent to outside surfaces of the trailing wheel sets and extending downward from the vehicle body; and 
   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel and trailing wheel skirt assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the frontal upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces and the upper surfaces on the outer sides of the adjacent trailing wheel sets are shielded from the impinging headwinds.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body at a forwardly inclined angle;   further comprising:
 a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and 
 a wheel skirt panel assembly located adjacent to outside surfaces of the trailing wheel sets and extending downward from the vehicle body; and 
   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel and trailing wheel skirt assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the frontal upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces and the upper surfaces on the outer sides of the adjacent trailing wheel sets are shielded from the impinging headwinds.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled of  claim 1 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly extending laterally underneath the vehicle body and disposed to be aligned directly in front of and with sufficient lateral extent to deflect the headwinds from impinging the frontal upper surfaces of the trailing wheel set. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled of  claim 1 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly extending laterally underneath and across the width of the vehicle body and disposed to deflect the headwinds from impinging the frontal upper surfaces of both wheel sets of the wheel assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly disposed:
 with a leading end thereof located substantially forward on and inboard toward the centerline of the vehicle body;   with a trailing end thereof located substantially outboard and proximate to the outside surface of the outermost wheel of the wheel set;   to form a vehicle skirt assembly located lengthwise generally along a longitudinal side of the vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly disposed:
 with a leading end thereof located substantially forward on and inboard toward the centerline of the vehicle body;   with a trailing end thereof located substantially outboard and proximate to the outside surface of the outermost wheel of the wheel set;   with a intermediate portion thereof located substantially rearward near to and longitudinally aligned in front of the inside surface of the innermost wheel of the wheel set;   to form a vehicle skirt assembly located lengthwise generally along a longitudinal side of the vehicle.   
     
     
         11 . A method for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle, said vehicle having a vehicle body supported thereunder by a rearward wheel assembly wherein said wheel assembly is exposed to a headwind in a flowstream when the vehicle is in forward motion, comprising:
 forming a wind deflecting means;   placing the wind deflecting means on a non-rotating portion of the wheeled vehicle wherein:
 a vehicle headwind otherwise impinging a drag-inducing surface on a frontal upper half section of a wheel of the wheel assembly is deflected downward onto a frontal lower half section of the wheel; and 
 the reduced drag on the upper wheel surfaces which have a mechanical advantage against propulsive counterforces applied at the axle, together with any increased drag on the lower wheel surfaces which suffer a mechanical disadvantage against propulsive counterforces applied at the axle, cause a reduction in overall drag and an increase in propulsive efficiency of the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle, said vehicle having a vehicle body supported thereunder by a wheel assembly wherein said wheel assembly would be otherwise exposed to headwinds in a flow-stream when the vehicle is in forward motion, comprising a aerodynamic deflector panel assembly extending underneath the vehicle body and disposed attachably thereto aligned upstream in front of a proximate trailing wheel set comprising one or more wheels located on one of either lateral side of the wheel assembly, and comprising one or more panels with those portions of said panels disposed in direct alignment upstream in front of a wheel of the wheel assembly extending downward to a level not substantially lower than the level of a axle of the wheel assembly, with said deflector panel assembly disposed:
 in forward leaning angle to deflect headwinds downward away from impinging a upper-wheel surface located above the level of a axle of the wheel set reducing the corresponding incident aerodynamic pressure thereon;   to leave lower-wheel surfaces below the level of the axle exposed to impinging headwinds and the corresponding incident aerodynamic pressure thereon; and   to thereby avoid a lower deflector panel drag force opposing vehicle motion which otherwise would be induced on a downwardly extended portion of the deflector panel assembly below the level of the axle, would be countervailed by a lower deflector panel drag propulsive counterforce transmitted through the vehicle body from a propulsively driven wheeled axle of the vehicle having a proportional propulsive countertorque equivalent to a countervailing propulsive force being transmitted from the wheel assembly and applied to the vehicle body at the level of the axle which is located higher than the effective level of an opposing force applied to the wheel from a net lower shielded wheel drag force induced on the exposed lower wheel surfaces, and unlike the net lower shielded wheel drag force would suffer no mechanical disadvantage over the countervailing propulsive force since both the lower deflector panel drag force and the countervailing propulsive force would be in direct opposition at the same level at the axle and both the lower deflector panel drag force and the countervailing propulsive force would be leveraged about the same translationally stationary point located at the point of ground contact on the wheel, whereas the countervailing propulsive force applied at the axle and having a mechanical advantage over the net lower shielded wheel drag force and being directed against the wheel at a level below the axle thereby yields reduced net drag on the vehicle and an increase in vehicle propulsive efficiency when the lower wheel surfaces remain exposed to impinging headwinds;   wherein the reduced drag on the thereby limited surface area of the deflector panel assembly limited in downward extent to the level of the axle, together with the corresponding increased drag on the increased exposed area of the propulsively mechanically disadvantaged lower-wheel surfaces, increases the propulsive efficiency of the vehicle.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly extending laterally underneath the vehicle body and disposed at an inclined angle to deflect the headwinds otherwise impinging the frontal upper wheel surfaces downward onto the frontal lower wheel surfaces. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body;   further comprising a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body at a forwardly inclined angle;   further comprising a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body;   further comprising:
 a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and 
 a wheel skirt panel assembly located adjacent to outside surfaces of the trailing wheel sets and extending downward from the vehicle body; and 
   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel and trailing wheel skirt assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the frontal upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces and the upper surfaces on the outer sides of the adjacent trailing wheel sets are shielded from the impinging headwinds.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising the deflector panel assembly:
 disposed to extend laterally underneath the vehicle body at a forwardly inclined angle;   further comprising:
 a plurality of end plates with each disposed attachably to either of the lateral ends of the deflector panel assembly, and parallel to the lengthwise sides of the vehicle body, and projecting forward toward the front of the vehicle; and 
 a wheel skirt panel assembly located adjacent to outside surfaces of the trailing wheel sets and extending downward from the vehicle body; and 
   thereby forming a channel-shaped deflector panel and trailing wheel skirt assembly wherein the headwinds otherwise impinging the frontal upper wheel surfaces are deflected and funneled downward onto the lower wheel surfaces and the upper surfaces on the outer sides of the adjacent trailing wheel sets are shielded from the impinging headwinds.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled of  claim 12 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly extending laterally underneath the vehicle body and disposed to be aligned directly in front of and with sufficient lateral extent to deflect the headwinds from impinging the frontal upper surfaces of the trailing wheel set. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled of  claim 12 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly extending laterally underneath and across the width of the vehicle body and disposed to deflect the headwinds from impinging the frontal upper surfaces of both wheel sets of the wheel assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a wheeled vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising said deflector panel assembly disposed:
 with a leading end thereof located substantially forward on and inboard toward the centerline of the vehicle body;   with a trailing end thereof located substantially outboard and proximate to the outside surface of the outermost wheel of the wheel set;   to form a vehicle skirt assembly located lengthwise generally along a longitudinal side of the vehicle.