Don-Bur unveils latest updated Teardop trailer
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justin.stantonfarbi.co.uk DON-BUR REVEALED an updated version of its Teardrop trailer last week at its Fuel Saving Forum at Stoke City's Britannia stadium.
Sporting a Marks & Spencer livery, the Teardrop Mk2 benefits from further computational fluid dynamics development, creating an even more aerodynamic trailer than the original version —although given that the example on show had only just come off the production line. Don-Bur is not yet making any claims about the trailer's performance.
As well as slimline and lightweight Blade composite panels, a lowered chassis (with a 1,100mm rear floor height) achieved with 385/55 R22.5 wheels, and new optimised side skirts with easily detachable half-wheel covers, the Mk2 trailer also boasts a number of further improvements designed to improve airflow: • A flat floor forward of the axles, running across the width of the trailer from skirt to skirt.
• A two-part rear air-ram system to reduce negative pressure by redirecting air into the air pocket behind the shutter (pictured top right). First, a skirt scoop, ridged and curving slowly upwards from the bottom of the chassis to the under-run bar, collects and directs poor sub-chassis airflow. Second, the rear frame, as well as being curved, features half-a-dozen air-in lets, thus forcing air through the frame as well as around the outside of it.
• The under-run bar is of a tubular design, incorporating all lights and plates that would otherwise create turbulence.The bar is designed in tandem with a sub-chassis skirt scoop, meaning the airflow from the scoop is not affected by the bar.
Since the Teardrop made its debut four years ago. Don-Bur has built 1,000 such trailers, now run by 48 operators, generating fuel efficiency improvements of 4% to 18% with an average of 11.3%.