Wheel skirt shielding inside of trailer wheels

An apparatus for reducing aerodynamic drag of a terrestrial vehicle, said vehicle having a central axle extending laterally inwards from a rearward wheel assembly, with said central axle being substantially exposed to headwinds impinging thereon while the vehicle is in forward motion, comprising:

• an inner skirt assembly disposed proximate to the wheel assembly at an interior location underneath a body of the vehicle;
• the inner skirt assembly comprising one or more panels extending longitudinally along the vehicle under the vehicle body;
• the inner skirt assembly extending laterally no further from the lateral location of an innermost sidewall of the wheel assembly than a distance equal to half the lateral width of the wheel assembly;
• the forwardmost portion of any forward section of the inner skirt assembly being aligned at least as far from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle body than trailing intermediate portions of the forward section, wherein said trailing intermediate portions being located rearward of the forwardmost portion, and wherein said forward section consisting of portions of the inner skirt assembly that are located wholly ahead of a forwardmost said wheel assembly;
• the rearmost portion of any rearward section the inner skirt assembly being aligned at least as far from the longitudinal centerline than preceding intermediate portions of the rearward section, wherein said preceding intermediate portions being located both behind the rearmost wheel assembly and forward of the rearmost portion, and wherein said rearward section consisting of portions of the inner skirt assembly that are located wholly behind a rearmost said wheel assembly;
• and
• the inner skirt assembly extending downwards to at least the medial level of the central axle.

An apparatus for reducing aerodynamic drag of a terrestrial vehicle in forward motion, comprising:

• an inner skirt assembly disposed proximate to a wheel of the vehicle at an interior location underneath a body of the vehicle;
• the inner skirt assembly comprising one or more panels extending longitudinally along the vehicle under the vehicle body;
• the inner skirt assembly extending laterally no further from the lateral location of an innermost sidewall of the wheel than a distance equal to half the lateral width of the wheel;
• the forwardmost portion of any forward section of the inner skirt assembly being aligned at least as far from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle body than trailing intermediate portions of the forward section, wherein said trailing intermediate portions being located rearward of the forwardmost portion, and wherein said forward section consisting of portions of the inner skirt assembly that are located wholly ahead of a forwardmost said wheel;
• the rearmost portion of any rearward section the inner skirt assembly being aligned at least as far from the longitudinal centerline than preceding intermediate portions of the rearward section, wherein said preceding intermediate portions being located both behind the rearmost wheel and forward of the rearmost portion, and wherein said rearward section consisting of portions of the inner skirt assembly that are located wholly behind a rearmost said wheel;
• and
• the inner skirt assembly extending downwards to at least the medial level of the wheel.