New spray ideas
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SEVERAL new ideas for spray suppression are still being discussed, even although the Department of Transport has decided the detail of the anti-spray regulations.
Neville Charrold managing director Philip Charlesworth has sent CM drawings of a mudwing which he says he designed and patented in the early Seventies.
The wing is designed to use a venturi effect to reduce air turbulence around the wheels and thus reduce spray.
Water thrown up by the tyres is carried by the ram air passing over the wheels to the rear of the vehicle and directed towards the ground.
Britax is another company which has begun to explore the use of the principles of aerodynamics in wing design to reduce spray. It has also applied for patents in five countries for its design and has sought the assistance of the Freight Transport Association to conduct tests on service vehicles.
• Belgium looks like being the first European country to follow the UK with spray suppression legislation. The Belgian transport minister intends to introduce the legislation at the beginning of next year, to become effective next summer.
It is proposed that the new law will apply to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes gvw. The Belgians will closely follow the UK, perhaps even adopting the British Standard.