Emergency fueling unit for means of heavy transport affected by electromagnetic pulse

Abstract

The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is either a natural phenomenon caused by a solar storm or can be an effect of the deliberately use of destructive weapons. It is a threat to critical infrastructure systems, including transportation. The construction of transportation means continues to pursue the rapidly accelerating economy and ecological demands while increasingly becoming more dependent on electricity and electronics each day. The paper presents a method that enables driving a vehicle after an impact of EMP of high energy, where the standard protection systems like insulations or protection shields are not efficient, and the vehicle electrical system is destroyed. The device called the Emergency Fueling Unit (EFU) is described. EFU was installed and tested on a truck equipped with a six-cylinder, 11 L CI engine. The truck acceleration test results presented in the paper confirm that the EFU could be effectively used to drive the truck in case of the destruction of its electrical system. The paper’s topic also provides an opportunity to reflect on how and why modern vehicles' powertrains, especially commercial vehicles, are exposed to the influence of phenomena that do not occur in everyday life but can have a disastrous impact on means of transportation and our safety.