Glow-in-the-dark plasma trucks are less of a drag

摘要

You're driving down the motorway at night when you pass a truck that's glowing purple. Don't worry, it isn't leaking toxic chemicals: it just has a clever way of reducing drag by using plasma. Trucks are sometimes fitted with devices such as spoilers to reduce drag. Panels underneath the body are known as "side skirts", while "rear tail fairings" are fitted to the back. Billions of dollars in fuel could be saved annually if they were fitted to every truck in the US alone, but the devices have drawbacks. They sometimes need to be removed for loading, for example. 'They are only good for one speed range and they might contribute to drag in other speed ranges," says Pranay Bajjuri, co-founder of Plasma Stream Technologies in Bettendorf, Iowa. "They are bulky and the additional weight directly impacts on fuel efficiency."