Tanker Explosions - How Do They Happen?

Your advocate in Diesel Engines and Gasoline Tanker Explosions

In many parts of the country (world) tractors that are used to haul fuel tanker trailers are equipped with a pump to either off load into above ground tanks or to speed up the process of off loading into below ground tanks. The pump is powered by the tractor’s diesel engine through the use of a power take off (PTO). Essentially by engaging the power take off, the power from the engine is moved from the drive shaft to the pump. The power take off has its own throttle and the driver of the truck can set the RPMs of the engine for maximum efficiency of the pump.

Mr.  DeVoto, is your advocate trial lawyer in St. Louis, Missouri. Call our St. Louis law office at 314-961-0330 for a free initial consultation.

Proving Your Rights in Trucking Explosions

A diesel engine does not have spark plugs. It operates by compressing air that creates heat that ignites the diesel fuel that is injected into the combustion chamber by the fuel pump. It has to breathe in air to operate. Under ordinary operating circumstances the speed of the engine is strictly a function of the throttle and fuel pump. The more throttle you give the engine, the more diesel fuel is pumped into the combustion chamber.

If gasoline vapors escape from the tank field, a leak in the hose, a leak in the pump, or an overfill of a tank, the diesel engines breather will begin to ingest gasoline vapor together with the normal air. The fuel vapor constitutes an unregulated source of fuel. The vapor is not connected to throttle. The more vapor the engine ingests the faster it begins to run and the faster it begins to run the more vapor it ingests. Eventually, if there is sufficient vapor or actual fuel in the air the engine will over speed. At this point the fuel pump for the diesel engine will either have shut itself off or, in some cases, breaks and is no longer functional. At this juncture, the only source e of fuel is the vapor in the air. The engine will be running so fast that it will actually scream. During this process which often takes less than a minute, the driver will assume that something is wrong with the PTO and go over and try to shut off the pump or even to climb back into the cab and turn off the engine. However, since the engine is no longer running on diesel fuel, all those efforts are futile and to no avail.

Ultimately, an over speed can occur to the point where “valve float” occurs and both the intake and exhaust valves remain open simultaneously. When this happens, hot exhaust vapors cross over into the intake manifold where they come into contact with the vapor laden air and an explosion and conflagration will ensue. The poor driver will either be burned to death or severely burned, the tractor and tanker go up in flames and if the owner is really unlucky the tank field and surrounding business will also go up in flames.

If you or a loved one is a victim of such an occurrence it is imperative that you hire an experienced gasoline tanker explosion lawyer IMMEDIATELY so that the evidence to prove what happened is secured. An experience lawyer and his team of forensic engineers and mechanics knows just what to look for to prove what happened empirically based upon an examination of the remnants of the truck, tanker, engine, and the scene in general. Failure to hire an experience attorney IMMEDIATELY could result in the loss, destruction, or alteration of key evidence. Call 866-961-0330 at this office for a free consultation and to get our team to the scene as soon as possible.