GB2481640A

GB2481640A - Fuel saving vortex generators for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2481640A
Application number: GB1011140.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adil Shazad
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-02
Filing date: 2010-07-02
Publication date: 2012-01-04
Also published as: GB201011140D0

Abstract

An attachment for an upper surface of a vehicle controls the air flow over the moving vehicle and generates trailing vortices to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The attachment comprises a base plate 2 from which a long central fin 4 and two shorter, generally parallel side fins 6 project upwards. The side fins 6 are preferably aligned so as to overlap the back half of the central fin 4. The central fin 4 may have either a wedge shape with height continuously increasing from front to back; or a teardrop shape with the highest point in the front half of the fin. The side fins 6 may also be wedge shaped or teardrop shaped, matching each other but not necessarily matching the shape of the central fin.

Description

TITLE

Fuel saving vortex generators for vehicles

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to accessories for vehicles, intended to improve the energy efficiency of the vehicles. They may be applied to any kind of vehicle for travel over land or water that has a substantially upwardly facing surface such as a roof They are particularly suited to road and rail vehicles such as cars, lorries, buses and trains.

The aim of invention is to improve the energy efficiency of the vehicle by guiding and controlling the airflow over it as the vehicle moves. For vehicles such as cars and lorries that carry fuel, this will result in a fuel saving.

The invention provides an attachment for an upper surface of a vehicle comprising: abase plate; a central fin that projects upwards from the base plate along a centre line of the attachment; and a pair of side fins on opposite sides of the central fin, each side fin projecting upwards from the base plate along a line generally parallel to the centre line.

The side fins are preferably shorter in length than the central fin, for example between 50% and 70% of the length of the central fin. The shorter side fins may substantially overlap with the back half of the central fin so that the front end of the central fin projects forwards from between the side fins.

The side fins are preferably inclined slightly away from the central fin.

The central fin may have a "wedge" shape in which its height continuously increases from its front end to its back end; or it may have a "teardrop" shape, in which the highest point of the fin is in its forward half Similarly, the side fins may have a wedge shape or a teardrop shape. The side fins are the same shape as one another but are not necessarily the same shape as the central fin.

In one embodiment of the invention, the back end of the central fin is higher than the back ends of the side fins. In another embodiment of the invention, the opposite is true.

In this specification, "longitudinal" and related words mean the general direction of travel of the vehicle. Words such as "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to the orientation of the attachment when affixed to a vehicle for use. Of course, the attachment may be manufactured, kept and sold in any orientation prior to use, while still falling within the scope of the claimed invention.

Certain preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 A and 1 B show attachments according to a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the invention respectively in perspective view.

Figures 2A and 2B show the respective attachments of Figure 1 in side elevation.

Figures 3A and 3B show the respective attachments of Figure 1 in end elevation.

Figures 4A and 4B show the respective attachments of Figure 1 in plan.

Figure 5 shows an attachment according to a third embodiment of the invention in perspective view.

Figure 6 shows an attachment according to a fourth embodiment of the invention in perspective view.

A vortex generating attachment according to the present invention comprises a set of fins projecting upwards from a base plate 2. A long central fin 4 is flanked by a pair of shorter side fins 6. The side fins 6 are preferably slightly more than half the length of the central fin 4, for example between 50% and 70% of its length. The back ends 8 of the side fins 6 are preferably aligned (at the level of the base plate) at least approximately with the back end 10 of the central fin 4, as shown in Figures 1 to 5.

Therefore, given the shorter length of the side fins 6, the front end 12 of the central fin 4 projects forwards from between the side fins 6. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, the front ends 14 of the side fins 6 may be aligned close to, but set slightly behind, the front end 12 of the central fin 4 As seen in Figures 3A and 3B, the fins 4,6 may be generally plate-like and of uniform thickness, though this is not essential. The side fins 6 are preferably inclined slightly outwards, away from the central fin 4.

The central fin 4 and the side fins 6 may have various shapes. Typically, the front end 12,14 of the fin 4,6 tapers down to meet the base plate 2 in order to present a streamlined profile to the oncoming air. The back end 8,10 of the fin need not be tapered and may end in a generally vertical step (e.g. the side fins of Fig. 1A and Fig. 5) or in a tail 16, in which an upper part of the fin extends beyond the back end of the fin at the level of the base plate (e.g. the central fin of Fig. IA or the side fins of Fig. IB). The shapes of the back ends 8,10 of the fins and the spatial relationship between the central fin 4 and the side fins 6 at their back ends 8,10 will be of great significance in determining the nature of the vortices that are created as air flows over the vortex generator.

One preferred shape of fin is a "wedge" shape, in which the height increases continuously from the front to the back of the fin. Another preferred shape of fin is a "teardrop" shape, in which the height increases from the front end of the fin to reach a maximum height somewhere in the front half of the fin and then decreases towards the back.

The shapes of the two side fins 6 should match one another but they need not match the shape of the central fin 4. For example, Fig. 1 B shows a teardrop-shaped central fin 4 with a pair of wedge-shaped side fins 6, while Fig. 5 shows a wedge-shaped central fin 4 with a pair of teardrop-shaped side fins 6.

The respective heights of the central fin 4 and the side fins 6 may also be varied.

Fig. 2A shows that in the first embodiment of the invention, the side fins 6 are lower than the central fin 4 over the whole of their length. However, Fig. 2B shows that in the second embodiment of the invention, the side fins 6 are higher than the central fin 4 at their back ends 8.

As seen in Figs. 2A and 2B, the thickness of the base plate 2 may be increased towards the back end of the attachment between the side fins 6. The thickened base can accommodate means for affixing the attachment to a vehicle roof, for example magnets (suitable for a steel root) or any other suitable form of temporary or permanent fixing such as adhesive tape or screws sufficient to withstand the aerodynamic forces acting on the attachment while the vehicle is being driven at speed.

Each fin 4,6 may be formed on a separate part of the base plate 2 so that different sizes and shapes of central fin 4 and side fins 6 may be combined freely. The base plate 2 illustrated in the drawings, formed from strip-like shapes, lends itself to that modular assembly. However, the base plate -and indeed the whole attachment -may be formed in one piece and the base plate may have other, more streamlined shapes as viewed from above. In particular, the edges of the base plate 2 may be made to bulge outwards alongside the side fins 6 For use on the roof of a typical family car, suitable dimensions for the attachment may be about 10-20cm in length and 2-5 cm in height. However, for other applications, different dimensions and proportions of the attachment according to the invention may be found more effective.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An attachment for an upper surface of a vehicle comprising: a base plate; a central fin that projects upwards from the base plate along a centre line of the attachment; and a pair of side fins on opposite sides of the central fin, each side fin projecting upwards from the base plate along a line generally parallel to the centre line.
2. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the side fins are shorter in length than the central fin.
3. An attachment according to claim 2, wherein the length of the side fins is between 50% and 70% of the length of the central fin.
4. An attachment according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the side fins substantially overlap with the back half of the central fin.
5. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the plane of each side fin is inclined slightly away from the plane of the central fin.
6. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the front end of the central fin tapers down to the base.
7. An attachment according to claim 6, wherein the height of the central fin continuously increases from its front end to its back end.
8. An attachment according to claim 6, wherein the highest point of the central fin is in its forward half.
9. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the front end of each side fin tapers down to the base.
10. An attachment according to claim 9, wherein the height of each side fin continuously increases from its front end to its back end.
11. An attachment according to claim 9, wherein the highest point of each side fin is in its forward half.
12. An attachment according to any of claims I to 11, wherein the back end of the central fin is higher than the back ends of the side fins.
13. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 1 1, wherein the back end of the central fin is lower than the back ends of the side fins.
14. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein an upper part of the back end of the central fin extends beyond the back end of the base.
15. An attachment for an upper surface of a vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to any of the drawings.t::r: INTELLECTUAL . ...* PROPERTY OFFICE Application No: GB 1011140.9 Examiner: Mark Thwaites Claims searched: 1-14 Date of search: 17 October 2011 Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17 Documents considered to be relevant: Category Relevant Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance to claims X 1, 6-8, 12, DE20009988 Ui 14 (WU) esp figs 3A-5 X 1,9,10 JP62163875A (NIPPON DENSO) esp figs 1 & 2 X 1,9,10 FR2619069A1 (WELDON) esp figs 3-5 & 7-9 A -US4402378A (AMICK) A,E -US7922235B1 (PACCAR) Categories: X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive A Document indicating technological background and/or state step of the art.Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of before the filing date of this invention.same category.& Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:Search of GB, EP, WO & US patent dociments classified in the following areas of the UKCX: Worldwide search of patent documents classified in the following areas of the IPC B61D; B62D; B63B The following online and other databases have been used in the preparation of this search report Online: EPODOC, WPI, TXTE International Classification: Subclass Subgroup Valid From B62D 0035/00 01/01/2006 B62D 0037/02 01/01/2006 Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk