Further Research

Through carrying out the engineering and experimentation in the project, several potential areas requiring further research became apparent.

The aft end balloon’s failure to reduce drag may have been due to its extending the trailer length. Perhaps if one kept the length constant, the reduction effects would become visible.
Following up on the success of the sleeve, an engineer might try to apply the sleeve to trailers pulled by cars, trucks and vans. Unlike tractor-trailer drivers, drivers of cars, trucks and vans tend to rely on their vision through their rear window. Consequently, it would be important to provide an alternative to drivers or somehow keep the sleeve from blocking the view and obstructing safety.
Another area of concern for vehicle aerodynamics might be the wheel openings. Determining the effect of closing off the openings could give reason for future car designs to adopt a different wheel configuration.
Could a new retail model cut down on unnecessary transportation? Does the rising prevalence of internet shopping have an adverse or positive effect on transportation efficiency? Is it possible to coordinate the vast network of transportation methods in a way that would increase efficiency, cut down on emissions and produce economic gains for all parties? By adopting a policy analogous to internet service providers or telecommunications companies, the transporting industry might find they are able to cut costs, increase service quality and speed or garner more business.
Even with a plethora of drag reduction measures, tractor-trailers may still be far from rivaling the efficiency of trains. An investigation of the relative efficiency and of the economic costs and incentives involved in relying more upon trains for long-distance transport would be potentially beneficial. If trains may prove to be more efficient, one would still need to consider the economic effects of the relative contribution to the job market, the cost of infrastructure and the cost of maintaining both the trains and the supporting infrastructure.

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Project Info References Acknowledgments Conclusion Sources of Error Further Research Overview Hypothesis Procedure Results Overview Background Objectives Hypothesis Construction/Details Testing Overview Background Plan	Further Research Through carrying out the engineering and experimentation in the project, several potential areas requiring further research became apparent. The aft end balloon’s failure to reduce drag may have been due to its extending the trailer length. Perhaps if one kept the length constant, the reduction effects would become visible. Following up on the success of the sleeve, an engineer might try to apply the sleeve to trailers pulled by cars, trucks and vans. Unlike tractor-trailer drivers, drivers of cars, trucks and vans tend to rely on their vision through their rear window. Consequently, it would be important to provide an alternative to drivers or somehow keep the sleeve from blocking the view and obstructing safety. Another area of concern for vehicle aerodynamics might be the wheel openings. Determining the effect of closing off the openings could give reason for future car designs to adopt a different wheel configuration. Could a new retail model cut down on unnecessary transportation? Does the rising prevalence of internet shopping have an adverse or positive effect on transportation efficiency? Is it possible to coordinate the vast network of transportation methods in a way that would increase efficiency, cut down on emissions and produce economic gains for all parties? By adopting a policy analogous to internet service providers or telecommunications companies, the transporting industry might find they are able to cut costs, increase service quality and speed or garner more business. Even with a plethora of drag reduction measures, tractor-trailers may still be far from rivaling the efficiency of trains. An investigation of the relative efficiency and of the economic costs and incentives involved in relying more upon trains for long-distance transport would be potentially beneficial. If trains may prove to be more efficient, one would still need to consider the economic effects of the relative contribution to the job market, the cost of infrastructure and the cost of maintaining both the trains and the supporting infrastructure. Click here to move on to the Project Info page.