Aerodynamic Design
According to Peterbilt Chief Engineer Craig Brewster, every element of the Model 386 was designed to maximize aero efficiencies. The truck features a contoured sunvisor, side chassis fairings, dramatically sloped hood, integrated headlamps, swept-back fender design and form-fitted bumper.
"Versus its predecessor, the Model 385-120", aerodynamic efficiency was improved by 10 percent," Brewster says. "This results in approximately a 3/10ths of a mile per gallon increase in fuel economy, a considerable amount that will help customers reduce operating expenses and improve their bottom line."
Brewster says Peterbilt engineers used state-of-the-art Computational Fluid Dynamics to analyze truck and component designs to identify which design iteration would be the most aerodynamically efficient. The process, he says, was exhaustive.
"For example, we designed and evaluated 80 different sunvisor shapes before choosing the final one," he says. "Each one was modeled and put through extensive analysis to determine aerodynamic drag and air-flow patterns. After the computer modeling, physical versions of the best sunvisor are created and further tested in a wind tunnel environment."
In addition to optimizing designs for aerodynamics, Peterbilt analyzed numerous materials to determine the best for component construction. Brewster says the Model 386's bumper is made of Metton, an advanced composite material that is 60 percent lighter than steel and highly durable to withstand the most rigorous on-highway environments.
