SmartTruck, the leading manufacturer of EPA SmartWay verified aerodynamic products for the trucking industry, has unveiled the new UT-1 Trailer UnderTray System - the newest addition to the company’s family of EPA SmartWay Verified and CARB Compliant UnderTray Systems.
The UT-1 is a low-cost, smaller version of SmartTruck’s popular UT-6 System with fewer components underneath the trailer. It can be installed in less than 1 hour by 1 person.
Airflow management
Many trailer aerodynamic technologies work by blocking the air from coming under the trailer, which results in less cooling air flow over temperature sensitive tires and brakes, says Mitch Greenberg, president, SmartTruck. Higher temperatures reduce brake lining life.
The design of SmartTruck’s UnderTray Systems improves the airflow underneath the trailer, creating cooler temperatures over brakes and tires, he points out. Lower temperatures increase brake lining life.
Both the UT-1 and UT-6 systems have a high ground clearance and inboard components to avoid everyday road and loading facility obstacles and challenges such as steep angled entrances, railroad crossings, snowbanks, curbs, etc.
The UnderTray is installed 2 feet inboard from each exterior edge of the trailer, and about 21 feet from the rear of the trailer.
Design approach
The UT-1 System features a sleek two-component design that delivers a 5.5 percent highway fuel efficiency improvement, says Greenberg.
“The new system uses the same aerodynamic design approach as our UT-6 System - by using the airflow around the trailer to reduce the high-drag, low-pressure wake behind the trailer,” notes Mike Henderson, SmartTruck’s CEO and chief designer. “The UT-1 System can be easily upgraded to the UT-6 System by adding a single component, and both systems improve tire and brake cooling.”
The components are made of the same tough polyethylene plastic as the UT-6 system to deliver the same rugged durability to last the life of the trailer.
Fleets can easily upgrade to the full UT-6 System and its 7 percent fuel-efficiency improvement by adding a single component, he says. Fleets can also integrate SmartTruck’s side fairings, which further improve highway fuel-efficiency performance to more than 10 percent.
The UT-1 System was designed utilizing Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Jaguar Cray XT5 supercomputer system, the most powerful computer for unclassified research in the world.
The UT-1 system weighs 185 pounds; UT-6, 240 pounds; UT-6 with side fairings, 280 pounds.
The systems can be installed as a retrofit or directly on an OEM production line. At present, the systems can be spec’d on Hyundai, Vanguard and Wabash trailers.
For more information, visit www.SmartTruckSystems.com.
