When dealing with fuel tanks, safety is of the utmost of priority. Brown Davis goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the structural rigidity, and production quality of each tank not only meets, but surpasses all current regulations surrounding fuel tanks and impact protection.
A critical aspect of design is to ensure the tank is structurally strong enough to withstand large impact forces. With a current ADR fuel tank test licence, Brown Davis is able to carry out specific, yet brutal testing of new tank designs. Current test procedures include a drop test with a fully laden tank from a specified height of 9m (30ft). During this test the tank must not show any signs of splitting or potential hazard upon impact. With such testing and data acquisition, each new tank design incorporates vast experience in structural design knowledge to ensure designs not only to exceed civilian vehicle safety standards, but those of many worldwide armed forces currently using Brown Davis tanks out in the battle field.
During production, a different form of testing is also carried out. As another critical stage of the fuel tank manufacturing process, ensuring that each tank is perfectly sealed and leak free is paramount. As with any form of welding, there is a chance of porosity in a weld seam, which even though mostly invisible to the naked eye, can leak and pose a potential safety hazard. It is for this reason that Brown Davis incorporate several leak tests in order to ensure each tank is 100% leak free prior to leaving the Brown Davis facility.
With the tank sealed and pressurised to a set level, a preliminary test is carried out as an early leak detection measure on all weld seams. This involves painting the seams with a soap based mixture which reveals bubbles at leak locations. Upon completion of this test, the tank is then fully submerged in a testing tank, and again under a set pressure level, will indicate even the most minute of air leaks via bubbles in the water.
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