MVM 2022 - Volume 48 - Number 3
  1. EVALUATION OF THE ROLLOVER THRESHOLD OF TANK VEHICLES
  2. Authors: Clio Vossou Ioannis Katsas Dimitrios Koulocheris
    DOI:10.24874/mvm.2022.48.03.04
    Abstract

    TThe improvement of the driving safety and the eradication of accidents is a matter of high priority in research in the area of automotive engineering. Especially in heavy vehicles transporting dangerous goods, every accident means high cost due to probable loss of life, environmental pollution and infrastructure damage. The present paper focuses on the analysis of the dynamic behavior of tank vehicles used to transport flammable liquids. Its main purpose is to correlate the rollover threshold of tank vehicles to the geometry of the cross section of the tank taking into consideration the maximum allowed dimensions and gross weight. Firstly, a 4-axle truck is simulated using the multi-body software TruckSimĀ® in order to monitor its dynamic behavior. Several simulation tests consisting of typical maneuvers were carried out considering different shapes of the cross section of the tank, considering equal volume of transported flammable liquid. For each simulation test several dynamic quantities have been monitored in order to estimate the safety against tank vehicle rollover. The results, among others, showed that the cross section providing the highest rollover threshold was an elliptical which looks like the box shaped. Furthermore, an important outcome of this paper is the determination of the maximum speed for each simulated maneuver and shape of cross section.

    Keywords: tank vehicle, rollover, dynamic stability, tank cross section