| The transport of hazardous materials in truck cargo tanks can cause severe environmental damage as a result of the tank's failure during a collision. Impact due to collision involves the transient dynamic response of the tank, fluid and their interaction. This thesis develops a computational approach to predict the dynamic transient response of the tank shell structure subjected to impact loads during crash accidents. In order to compute the fluid and structural interaction, the finite element formulations for the added mass to the structure are developed and integrated with DYNA3D, a nonlinear dynamic structural finite element code, and they are validated by pendulum impact experiment. This thesis presents the lumping process required by the added mass approach for cargo tanks under impact conditions. Thus, due to its efficiency the computer based approach provides a design tool for fluid filled thin walled structures in general and cargo tanks subjected to an impact situation. The structural integrity performance of cargo tank shell construction is investigated. In addition, a 2-D tank truck rollover model is presented such that it makes a numerically efficient analysis tool for truck vehicle's rollover stability. This thesis research will contribute to improvement in design, modeling, and analysis techniques for crashworthiness and integrity of liquid mechanical structure systems which are subjected to a variety of forms of impulsive loads. |
