Minimizing drag-induced forces on a wheeled vehicle

A wind-diverting apparatus for reducing drag on a terrestrial vehicle having a vehicle wheel exposed to a headwind impinging substantially unimpeded upon a forward-facing circumferential surface of the wheel that is located above a midmost level of an axle of the wheel, wherein said apparatus comprises:

• an upper wheel wind-shielding fairing assembly attached to a nonrotatable structural member wherein said member is a frame or body of the vehicle;
• said wind-shielding assembly comprising a pair of lateral fairing side sections, with each said fairing side section being disposed adjacent to one of the lateral sides of the wheel and configured wherein each said fairing side section has a surface extending between a top edge and a bottom edge thereof, with said top edge being substantially unconnected to the top edge of the other fairing side section along respective major lengths thereof such that a gap exists between the top edges of the fairing side sections at least along said major lengths of the top edges;
• the gap between the fairing side sections spanning across the topmost portion of the wheel;
• the fairing side sections each extending forward of the axle;
• the fairing side sections spanning across a critical elevation positioned within a major upper drag-inducing surface of the wheel, said critical elevation being located no lower than an elevation above the bottom of the wheel equal to 75 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• and
• the fairing side sections each disposed no lower than a lowermost level, said lowermost level being positioned above the midmost level of the axle.

A wind-diverting apparatus for reducing drag on a terrestrial vehicle that has a vehicle wheel otherwise exposed to a vehicle headwind impinging substantially unimpeded above a midmost level of an axle of the wheel upon a forward-facing upper circumferential surface of a tire of the wheel, said upper circumferential tire surface being positioned above the midmost level, and the vehicle having either no or not more than a single additional lateral axis centered through any wheeled axle of the vehicle that is positioned wholly forward of the otherwise exposed wheel when the vehicle is arranged for straight forward motion, wherein said apparatus comprises:

• an upper wheel wind-shielding fairing assembly attached to a nonrotatable structural member wherein said member is a frame or body of the vehicle;
• the fairing assembly configured wherein any headwind-exposed portion of the fairing assembly that is arranged to shield a surface of the wheel located no closer to the center of the axle than an intermediate radial distance equal to one-third the diameter of the wheel from headwinds otherwise impinging thereon, said headwind-exposed portion being disposed wholly above a lowermost level located above the midmost level of the axle;
• a circumferential fendered portion of the fairing assembly, wherein said circumferential fendered portion consists of wind-deflecting fairing surfaces of the fairing assembly that are aligned immediately adjacent to respective circumferential surfaces of the tire;
• the circumferential fendered portion disposed immediately adjacent to a forward-facing upper circumferential tire surface located no higher than an upper level positioned above the bottom of the wheel a distance equal to 85 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• the circumferential fendered portion extending forward and downward to not lower than a forwardmost level positioned above the midmost level of the axle;
• the fairing assembly furthermore configured to have a radially outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion consisting of wind-shielding fairing surfaces that are wholly aligned immediately adjacent to respective outer sidewall surfaces of the wheel, wherein said outer sidewall wheel surfaces consist of respective lateral sidewall surfaces of the tire and of an outer circular rim of the wheel that are wholly positioned anywhere between the intermediate radial distance from the center of the axle and an outer radial distance from the center of the axle equal to 47.5 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• the fairing assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle extends no lower than the midmost level of the axle;
• and
• the fairing assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle furthermore extends no lower than any wind-shielding fairing surfaces of the fairing assembly wholly located both rearward of the center of the axle and no further rearward from center of the axle than the intermediate radial distance.

A wind-diverting apparatus for reducing drag upon an open-wheel terrestrial vehicle having a vehicle wheel otherwise exposed to a headwind impinging substantially unimpeded thereon wholly above a medial level of an axle of the wheel, wherein said apparatus comprises:

• the apparatus wherein the wheel is a forwardmost wheel of the vehicle, the forwardmost wheel being any forward or rearward wheel not preceded immediately ahead by another wheel disposed substantially aligned directly in front thereto;
• a wind-deflecting wheel fairing assembly attached directly to a nonrotatable structural member wherein said member is a frame or body of the vehicle;
• the fairing assembly comprising wind-diverting fairing surfaces aligned immediately in front of an upper forward-facing portion of the otherwise exposed wheel, said upper forward-facing portion consisting of circumferential surfaces of the wheel that are positioned forward of the axle above the medial level;
• the fairing assembly having a critical portion thereof comprising wind-diverting fairing surfaces that are aligned immediately upstream directly in front of said upper forward-facing portion of the wheel;
• the critical portion of the fairing assembly having sufficient surface extension wherein at least 15 percent of said upper forward-facing portion of the wheel is aligned directly behind said critical portion of the fairing assembly;
• the fairing assembly disposed wherein a lowermost portion of a lower forward-facing portion of the wheel is substantially exposed to headwinds impinging thereon, said lower forward-facing portion consisting of circumferential surfaces of the wheel that are positioned forward of the axle below the medial level, and said lowermost forward-facing portion comprising circumferential wheel surfaces that are positioned at a lowermost level located at an elevation above the bottom of the wheel equal to 17.5 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• and
• the fairing assembly furthermore disposed to divert the headwind from otherwise impinging directly upon a substantial portion of forward-facing surfaces of the wheel that are located above the medial level to instead flow above or laterally around the wheel wherein the headwind is nowhere diverted substantially downward from impinging upon fairing surfaces of the critical portion of the fairing assembly that are disposed above a level in elevation above the bottom of the wheel equal to 95 percent of the diameter of the wheel,
• whereby both substantial high vehicle-drag-inducing upper wheel surfaces are substantially shielded from headwinds otherwise impinging directly thereon and substantial low vehicle-drag-inducing lower wheel surfaces are substantially exposed to headwinds impinging thereon.

A wind-diverting apparatus for reducing drag upon an open-wheel terrestrial vehicle having a vehicle wheel otherwise exposed to a headwind impinging substantially unimpeded thereon wholly above a medial level of an axle of the wheel, wherein said apparatus comprises:

• the apparatus wherein the wheel is a rear wheel of the vehicle;
• a wind-deflecting wheel fairing assembly attached directly to a nonrotatable structural member wherein said member is a frame or body of the vehicle;
• the fairing assembly comprising wind-diverting fairing surfaces aligned substantially upstream immediately in front of an upper forward-facing portion of the otherwise exposed wheel, said upper forward-facing portion consisting of circumferential surfaces of the wheel that are positioned forward of the axle above the medial level;
• the fairing assembly having a critical portion thereof comprising wind-diverting fairing surfaces that are aligned immediately upstream directly in front of said upper forward-facing portion of the wheel;
• the critical portion of the fairing assembly having sufficient surface extension wherein at least 33 percent of said upper forward-facing portion of the wheel is aligned directly behind said critical portion of the fairing assembly;
• the critical portion of the fairing assembly comprising substantial wind-diverting fairing surfaces disposed above a critical elevation, said critical elevation being positioned above the bottom of the wheel a distance equal to 75 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• the fairing assembly disposed wherein a lowermost portion of a lower forward-facing portion of the wheel is substantially exposed to headwinds impinging thereon, said lower forward-facing portion consisting of circumferential surfaces of the wheel that are positioned forward of the axle below the medial level, and said lowermost forward-facing portion comprising circumferential wheel surfaces that are positioned at a lowermost level located at an elevation above the bottom of the wheel equal to 22.5 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• and
• the fairing assembly furthermore disposed to divert the headwind from otherwise impinging directly upon a substantial portion of forward-facing surfaces of the wheel that are located above the medial level to instead flow above or laterally around the wheel wherein the headwind is nowhere diverted substantially downward from impinging upon fairing surfaces of the critical portion of the fairing assembly that are disposed above a level in elevation above the bottom of the wheel equal to 95 percent of the diameter of the wheel,
• whereby both substantial high vehicle-drag-inducing upper wheel surfaces are substantially shielded from headwinds otherwise impinging directly thereon and substantial low vehicle-drag-inducing lower wheel surfaces are substantially exposed to headwinds impinging thereon.

A method for reducing drag on a terrestrial vehicle having a vehicle wheel otherwise exposed to a headwind impinging substantially unimpeded thereon above a midmost level of an axle of the wheel upon a forward-facing upper circumferential surface of a tire of the wheel, said upper circumferential tire surface being positioned above the midmost level, and the vehicle having either no or not more than a single additional lateral axis centered through any wheeled axle of the vehicle that is positioned wholly forward of the otherwise exposed wheel when the vehicle is arranged for straight forward motion, wherein said method comprises:

• forming an aerodynamic upper wheel wind-diverting apparatus attached to a nonrotatable structural member wherein said member is a frame or body of the vehicle, and wherein the wind-diverting apparatus comprises:
• a wind-shielding fairing assembly configured wherein any headwind-exposed portion of the fairing assembly is arranged to shield a surface of the wheel located no closer to the center of the axle than an intermediate radial distance equal to one-third the diameter of the wheel from headwinds otherwise impinging thereon, said headwind-exposed portion being disposed wholly above a lowermost level located above the midmost level of the axle;
• a circumferential fendered portion of the fairing assembly, wherein said circumferential fendered portion consists of wind-deflecting fairing surfaces of the fairing assembly that are radially aligned immediately adjacent to respective circumferential surfaces of the tire;
• the circumferential fendered portion disposed immediately adjacent to a forward-facing upper circumferential tire surface located no higher than an upper level positioned above the bottom of the wheel a distance equal to 85 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• the circumferential fendered portion extending forward and downward to not lower than a forwardmost level positioned above the midmost level of the axle;
• the fairing assembly furthermore configured to have a radially outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion consisting of wind-shielding fairing surfaces that are aligned immediately adjacent to respective outer sidewall surfaces of the wheel, wherein said outer sidewall wheel surfaces consist of respective lateral sidewall surfaces of the tire and of an outer circular rim of the wheel that are wholly positioned anywhere between the intermediate radial distance from the center of the axle and an outer radial distance from the center of the axle equal to 47.5 percent of the diameter of the wheel;
• the fairing assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle extends no lower than the midmost level of the axle;
• and
• the fairing assembly furthermore configured wherein any said outer sidewall-aligned fairing portion located rearward of the center of the axle furthermore extends no lower than any wind-shielding fairing surfaces of the fairing assembly wholly located both rearward of the center of the axle and no further rearward from center of the axle than the intermediate radial distance;
• and
• configuring the fairing assembly to be limited in drag-inducing extended disposition so that when the vehicle is operated at a normal highway speed under null wind conditions any further increase in the extended disposition of the fairing assembly would further increase drag induced thereon to cause overall vehicle drag to increase above a standard amount otherwise induced when the fairing assembly is otherwise absent from the vehicle,
• said normal highway speed being equal to 75 percent of the maximum operating speed of the vehicle,
• whereby any reduction in vehicle drag from reduced drag on the wheel is not less than the offsetting respective vehicle drag induced by the fairing assembly itself.