TotalSim is very pleased to announce that we have been awarded funding from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Innovate UK to lead the development of an Aerodynamic Configurator for Transport (ACT).

The grant of £392,240, which contributes to a total project spend of £560,342, in collaboration with fuel saving analytics specialist Dynamon, will fund the development of a web-based application for performing virtual aerodynamic simulations of HGVs. By assessing vehicle geometries for aerodynamic efficiency under a range of real world conditions and drive cycles, the ACT will inform fleet managers of the most efficient deployment configurations of truck and trailer to reduce fuel costs and emissions.

Dr Rob Lewis, Managing Director, TotalSim, explains: “Fuel is the biggest cost for haulage companies and so the best approach to reducing emissions is to provide reliable fuel savings that increase profit. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, we can simulate the aerodynamic efficiency of any vehicle – usually to help make racing cars go faster – but in this instance we are interested in increasing fuel efficiency to reduce HGV emissions.

“Typically CFD requires costly computers and software, as well as skilled engineers with specialist knowledge. Our ACT solution will be jargon-free and work in a web browser, so that transport operators of all technical abilities can try out different configurations of HGV quickly and easily in order to deploy the most efficient cabs and trailers. This will dramatically reduce journey costs and greenhouse gas emissions alike.”

Combined with telematic data capture, the ACT will also help inform route and weather specific planning decisions to maximise haulage company profits and return on investment (ROI) of each vehicle. HGV manufacturers are not currently able to provide fleet specific fuel savings or ROI predictions, and so the ACT will be an invaluable source of information for future vehicle design.

Dr Angus Webb, Founder and CEO, Dynamon, adds: “By partnering with TotalSim, we are able to create a service that will make it significantly easier and cheaper for fleets to invest in aerodynamics. TotalSim will identify the best aerodynamics shapes and Dynamon will use fleet telematics data to identify the potential fuel saving and ROI. We believe this will both improve investment in aerodynamics by fleets and stimulate innovation from aerodynamics suppliers.”

The grant is part of the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial, a £20 million programme funded by the Department for Transport and the government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, to demonstrate new technologies and to encourage the widespread introduction of low and zero emission vehicles.  The freight industry currently accounts for approximately 30 per cent of the UK’s CO2 transport emissions and so the money will help hauliers get more environmentally friendly vehicles on the roads from mid-2017 onwards.

Transport Minister, John Hayes, comments: “It is fantastic that TotalSim is willing to explore low and zero emission technologies, which will help improve air quality and reduce pollution in towns and cities. This is yet another important significant step towards this government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions from transport to help tackle climate change. “We are already making headway through our investment in low emission vehicles, greener public transport and walking and cycling, as well as grants for innovative advanced biofuels projects.”

The project is due to start on 1st April 2017 and run for 12 months,  if you require any further information do not hesitate to contact us on 01280 840316 or info@totalsim.co.uk