Tanker Truck- Liquid Surge Reduction and Driving Tips
Tanker truck is a kind of motor vehicles used for transporting gases, dry bulk, or gases, water, oil and other liquefied loads. A sudden stop of tankers may result in the liquid surge, the liquid will move back and forth. If the wave hits on the front of the tanks, it will have a tendency to put forward the truck in the direction the liquid moves. But it's terrible when the truck is on the slippery roads, and the moving liquid can push trucks sliding on the road, thus easily causing an accident and hard to control the trucks for the drivers.
How to reduce liquid surge of tank truck?
Method one: liquid surge stabilizer
Liquid surge stabilizer is designed to control the motion of liquid surge in partially liquid filled tanks. Stabilize the wave inside the tank when the truck stops or starts so that wave can’t hit the tank wall violently. A tank truck with a liquid surge stabilizer is easier to control for drivers especially when the truck accelerates, turns, brakes, and makes lane changes. In addition, it can relieve the stress on the tank and other parts of the truck, such as the engine, shocks and the running gear.
Liquid surge stabilizer is a baffle system consists of three high strength plastic connecting rings. The device has 36 flowing holes (each ring 12 flowing hole) to relieve the surge. When the fluid flows past the baffle, the surge is removed. Connection between the three rings is easily operated without any fasteners, and the baffle is free suspending in the liquid without any attachment to the tank. This kind of liquid surge stabilize baffle can be widely used, and compatible with poly, metal and fiberglass tanks. Note: this kind of plastic baffle can’t be used in the transport of flammable and edible liquids.
How the three rings interlock with each other?
Method two: Surge buster
Similar to surge stabilizer baffle mentioned above, surge buster can dissipate the stress that liquid surge created. Don’t attach to the inside tank, which reduces the fatigue of the truck and prolongs the useful life of tank.
How surge buster in side the tank trailer works?
A surge reduction system is formed by a group of surge busters connecting with each other. As the tanker truck stops or slows down, the liquid moves towards in the direction of the wave and tends to hit on the front wall of the tank truck, but just at this moment, the system will come into play. Surge busters floating in the liquid move with the wave, they congregate at the central focus of the surge energy, bend, flex and rebound and their energy absorption capacity is increasing. This unique flexible motile design makes it absorb energy from every direction. In case the tanker truck stops, the flowing waves is greatly reduced by the surge busters, which can’t damage the tanks.
Benefits of surge buster:
- Reduce liquid surge and load
- Prolong useful life of the tank and truck
- The frame, brake, engine, automatic transmissions and tire all benefit from the surge buster system.
- Help to reduce the risks of accidents.
- Stabilize liquid surge and improve the safety of transport.
- Absorb liquid surge from all directions.
How much to load?
Don’t load the tank completely full, as the temperature goes on, liquid inside the tank may expand, it’s dangerous when the expanding liquid crushes on the wall of the tank. Because the expanding degree of different liquid varies, transporter must be clear about the outrage requirement about various transporting fluid.
As for the liquid of high density, the same volume compared with low density may go beyond legal weight limits. Driver can only load partially filled tank and the loading amount depends on the following factors:
1. Expanding amount of the liquid during the transport
2. Total weight of the liquid
3. Limits of legal liquid weight
Driving tips for tank truck driver:
To drive the tanker trucks safely, the following driving rules is necessary.
Drive smoothly- Center of gravity of the loaded tank truck is high, and liquid surge is more easily to form, so the drivers must start and stop very slowly, and make turns and lane changes smoothly.
Braking- controlled or stab braking is necessary if the drivers have to stop, be carefully that stop quickly may caused the vehicle roll over.
Curves- speed down before the curves and speed up slightly through the curve.
Stopping distance – have a good master of the sliding distance of the vehicles, so that the stopping position is proper. On particular condition, such as on the slippery or wet road, sliding distance doubles. Remember that empty truck has a longer sliding distance.
Stopping distance – have a good master of the sliding distance of the vehicles, so that the stopping position is proper. On particular condition, such as on the slippery or wet road, sliding distance doubles. Remember that empty truck has a longer sliding distance.
Skid- the vehicle may skid if the brake or steer is overused, for tanker trailer truck, when the vehicle begins to skid, it may jackknife. Once meeting this condition, restore traction to the wheels.