LSC Surge Force Calculator
Personalized peak braking demand by fill level · All values update instantly
⚠ Braked axles are fewer than total axles. Stopping distance increases significantly.
Vehicle & Tank
Combined Empty Wt (lbs)
Tank Capacity (gallons)
Total Axles
Total Braked Axles
Brake Efficiency (auto)
100%
Liquid
Liquid Name
Liquid Density (lbs/gal)
Quick-select
Road Conditions
Road Surface
Coefficient of Friction (CoF)
Speed 1 (mph)
Speed 2 (mph)
Speed 3 (mph)
GVW Limit Inputs
Tire Load Rating (lbs/tire)
Number of Tires (total)
Tire Limit (auto)
81,000
Manufacturer GVWR (lbs)
State GVW Limit (lbs)
LEGAL GVW LIMIT → Min of above
80,000
📚 Independent Research Confirmation
10 institutions across 6 countries — none funded by Liquid Surge Control — all confirmed the physics independently
1.
University of Idaho — Dr. Ralph S. Budwig (Primary Source)
Tilt-table test, 2004. Measured 26,480 lbf without Surge Busters® → 860 lbf with Surge Busters® — 96.7% reduction. The foundational data point for all Surge Busters® claims.
2.
Concordia University — Rakheja Research Group, Canada
The most prolific tank truck slosh research group in the world. Confirmed: surge peaks at partial fill, partial loads are most dangerous, lateral and longitudinal slosh combined are the key risk factors.
3.
West Virginia University — Salem et al.
SAE Technical Paper — the industry standard reference for tanker stability. Confirmed: partial fill = maximum rollover risk. Cited worldwide in tanker safety research and litigation.
4.
National Research Council Canada
Government-funded study (2018). Confirmed liquid slosh is a documented safety risk across all transport modes. Physics identical to highway tankers.
5.
NASA — Multiple Programs, 1965–2023
Flexible baffles confirmed as flight-critical engineering across five decades of research (Dodge 1971, Stephens 1965). The same physics that protects liquid oxygen in spacecraft protects cargo in tank trucks.
6.
Southwest Research Institute
Published the definitive field monograph on liquid slosh dynamics (Dodge, 2000) — the standard reference for the entire discipline. Confirms all foundational physics underlying Budwig.
7.
Cambridge University Press — Ibrahim (2005)
Foundational textbook: Liquid Sloshing Dynamics: Theory and Applications. Documents baffle efficiency across all liquid containment systems. The academic gold standard for the field.
8.
Ocean Systems Engineering — Kang et al. (2019)
Peer-reviewed study of floating baffles — the exact Surge Busters® mechanism. Confirmed: floating baffles suppress sloshing more effectively than fixed baffles at every fill level.
9.
Physics of Fluids — Xie & Zhao (2021)
Confirmed: energy dissipation requires baffle movement, not rigidity. Fixed baffles redirect force into the tank wall. Floating baffles introduce harmonic distortion that causes surge energy to self-cancel.
10.
Journal of Sound & Vibration — Maleki & Ziyaeifar (2008)
Documented energy dissipation percentages with baffles in cylindrical tanks. Provides independent quantification of the damping range that includes and supports the 96.7% Budwig finding.
None of these institutions were asked by Liquid Surge Control to validate Surge Busters®. They confirmed the physics independently. The physics is what Surge Busters® are built on.
⚠ IMPORTANT — Save as PDF Before Emailing
This calculator cannot be emailed directly — the data will disappear. To save your results as a PDF:
Mac (Safari/Chrome): Click "Save as PDF" below → in the print dialog, find the "PDF" button in the bottom-left corner → click it → select "Save as PDF"
Windows (Chrome/Edge): Click "Save as PDF" below → change Destination to "Save as PDF" → click Save
Then attach the saved PDF file to your email.
Mac (Safari/Chrome): Click "Save as PDF" below → in the print dialog, find the "PDF" button in the bottom-left corner → click it → select "Save as PDF"
Windows (Chrome/Edge): Click "Save as PDF" below → change Destination to "Save as PDF" → click Save
Then attach the saved PDF file to your email.
Worst-Case Braking Demand — 50% Fill
Braking Cap
Surge Force
Total Force
vs Legal GVW
With SB®
Mult w/SB
40 mph
—
—
—
—
—
—
55 mph
—
—
—
—
—
—
70 mph
—
—
—
—
—
—
⚠ WITHOUT SURGE BUSTERS® — PEAK BRAKING DEMAND
Peak braking demand occurs at ~52.5% fill. Lines above the Legal GVW limit mean the truck must stop more force than its rated weight.
✓ WITH SURGE BUSTERS® INSTALLED — 96.7% OF SURGE FORCE ELIMINATED
With Surge Busters® installed, surge force is reduced 96.7% at every fill level. All three speed lines drop dramatically.
Braking Demand by Fill Level — 40 · 55 · 70 mph — With & Without Surge Busters®
| Fill % | GVW (lbs) | Brk Cap | Surge @40 | Total @40 | Surge @55 | Total @55 | Surge @70 | Total @70 | Multiple (Custom) | SB® Total | Mult w/SB |
|---|
Surge = K × scaledRef × fill × (1−fill) ÷ 0.20 × (speed÷40)² · scaledRef = 47,000 × (tankCap ÷ 6,000) · K = 3.598 × (density ÷ 7.10) · SB® reduction: 96.7% · Budwig, University of Idaho, 2004
Column Definitions
Fill % — Percentage of tank capacity filled with liquid. Surge peaks at ~52.5% fill, not at full load.
GVW (lbs) — Gross Vehicle Weight. Empty weight of the vehicle plus the weight of liquid at that fill level.
Brk Cap — Braking Capacity. Maximum stopping force the brakes can generate: GVW × CoF × brake efficiency.
Surge @40 / @55 / @70 — Liquid surge force at that fill level and speed. Scales with the square of speed — 70 mph surge is 3.06× the 40 mph surge.
Total @40 / @55 / @70 — Total braking demand: Braking Capacity + Surge Force. This is what the brakes must overcome to stop the truck.
Multiple (Custom) — Multiple of current braking capacity, at whichever of the three speeds is set as the third (customizable) speed above. How many times larger the total braking demand is compared to what the brakes can generate right now.
SB® Total — Total braking demand WITH Surge Busters® installed at 70 mph. Surge force reduced by 96.7% — only 3.3% remains active.
Mult w/SB — Multiple of current braking capacity WITH Surge Busters®. Shows how much the braking demand drops relative to what the brakes can generate after surge is cancelled.
Results are theoretical models for planning purposes only. Applies to unpressurized or vented liquid tankers only. Anhydrous ammonia, propane, and LPG are outside scope. · US Patent No. 11,312,568 · SurgeBusters.us · 866-787-4360