Forschungsprogramm 'Sicherheit in der Gefahrgutbefoerderung'

Available from TIB Hannover: RN 6741(248) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

THESEUS. Tankfahrzeuge mit hoechst erreichbarer Sicherheit durch experimentelle Unfall-Simulation Zusammenfassender Schlussbericht

Analyses of accident statistics have revealed that in Germany about 1000 accidents happen every year in which tank trucks transporting hazardous materials are involved. In about 60 of these cases leakage of hazardous materials is likely, thus adding to the risk of injuries to persons, large damage to property and the environment. The idea of the THESEUS project was to lessen this risk. Systematic and reproducible experiments were conducted on single components, tank trucks in their entirety and safety devices to look into driving stability, overturning and crash performance. By this approach the safety level under accident-induced loads was to be analysed and to made assessable. Accident data were collected and analysed with a view to defining realistic test parameters. The most frequent types of accidents turned out to be those caused solely by the driver's negligence (i.e. not involving other vehicles) accounting for 70% of the total hazardous materials spills, the rear-end collision and the side collision of a commercial vehicle with a tank truck. To help avoid accidents involving overturning caused solely by the driver's negligence, a limit value of 25 degrees should become mandatory for the dumper-body angle. Liquids in motion do not have an effect on the overturning limit in non-stationary driving manoeuvres. In crash and overturning tests durations of impact of up to 420 ms, mean forces of impact of up to 600 kN, deformation work of up to 780 kJ and pressures of up to 5 bar were recorded which can be referred to as design loads. Improved impact protection devices were found to prevent tank failures in rear-end collisions up to 60 km/h, in side impacts up to 50 km/h. To design the tank to withstand local load applications a new wall thickness formula was proposed taking acoount of the tensile strength of the tank material and the entire mass of the tank truck. To test the global load application a representative section of the tank was subjected to a drop test. The combination of a lowered centre of gravity, overturning hazard warning devices, optimized dome covers, pipes as well as valves and fittings and ranging systems led to the highest cost-benefit ratios. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F95B1113+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman