United States Department of Transportation
i
Slosh Characteristics of Aggregated Intermediate Bulk Containers on Single-Unit Trucks
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2016-08-01
[PDF-3.39 MB]
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Abstract:Drivers of cargo tank trucks need special knowledge of vehicle and load dynamics, including slosh, to handle their vehicles safely. This knowledge is reflected by a tank vehicle (N) endorsement to the commercial driver’s license (CDL). Drivers of vehicles that carry intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) aggregating to 1,000 gallons capacity or more must hold an N endorsement, according to current regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires technical information to help determine whether to modify this requirement. This research used simulations and experiments to identify the conditions and extent to which a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with IBCs behaves differently from a conventional cargo tank truck of similar capacity and load. The simulations modeled the slosh of liquid loads in a single cargo tank and several combinations of IBCs. The slosh was simulated both by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and by a simplified pendulum model that could be integrated with a commercially available model of a single-unit truck. Quantitative performance metrics showed that the effect of slosh in the IBCs was less than the effect of slosh in the 1,100-gallon tank in nearly all cases. Only in extreme cases were the slosh forces in the IBCs more than a few percent greater than the forces produced by an equivalent rigid, solid load. In the experimental portion of the research, professional tank drivers drove trucks carrying IBCs similar to those simulated. The drivers reported that, in the extreme maneuvers, they sensed the slosh slightly more than they would in a similar truck with dry freight.
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