Say the word "aerodynamics" and Wayne Simons' eyes still light up. And that's after 36 years with Kenworth Truck Co., researching ways to reduce vehicle drag and increase fuel economy.
"That's the beauty of engineering," said Simons, who is engineering manager for the truck manufacturer's advanced concepts team located at the firm's R&D Lab in Renton, Wash. "Nothing is ever totally engineered -- with new technology there are always advancements that can be made. It's what keeps my job so interesting."

Like the time Simons was part of the design team that built Kenworth's revolutionary, aerodynamic and fuel-saving T600A model back in 1985. The engineering team went on to receive the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Award for the Advancement of Motor Vehicle Research and Development.
"I get just as much satisfaction today by being involved in new projects that can bring better fuel economy to heavy-duty trucks and our customers," Simons said. "For example, we've expanded our thinking by looking at the tractor-trailer as an integrated system. We continue to examine ways to fine-tune our vehicles, while also exploring ways to improve fuel efficiency for the trailer as well."
Case in point is Kenworth's work with an Olympia, Wash.-based company called Aero Works. "They've designed a new approach to 'boat tails' -- a term which refers to a device that evens out airflow behind the trailer," Simons said.
"The industry has known about the concept for years, but no one has figured out how to make it work and make it marketable. Aero Works might change all that. Our testing has shown that their concept boat tail can improve fuel economy by several percent. For tractor-trailer aerodynamics that's huge, and the fuel savings potential is tremendous."
Lee Telnack, president of Aero Works, said he approached Kenworth with his design because of the company's accomplishments. "Kenworth is the known leader in truck aerodynamics and they're very progressive," he said. "I approached them with my idea and design and they were interested in working with us to test our concept. We tested scale models at the University of Washington Wind Tunnel and the results were promising. This led to full-size prototype fuel economy road tests. All told, it's been a great working relationship."
Once inflated and rigid, Telnack says his boat tail looks like half an egg that is tapering -- it juts out five feet beyond the back of the trailer.
It's designed within the parameters of U.S. Department of Transportation length restrictions for aerodynamic devices.
Aero Works' Internet homepage is at www.aeroworks.info.