Analyses of Full-Scale Tank Car Shell Impact Tests

Tang, Yim H.; Yu, Hailing; Gordon, Jeff; Priante, Michelle; Jeong, David Y.; Tyrell, David; Perlman, Amotz

doi:10.1115/rtdf2007-46010

Cited by 17 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Material failure models that account for the influence of stress state on the propensity for fracture [6] have been incorporated into the ABAQUS model. These material failure models have recently been shown to provide excellent agreement to the results from a series of tank car dynamic impact/puncture tests [7]. In addition, material tests are being planned so that the failure models can be calibrated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Development and Fabrication of State-of-the-Art End Structures for Budd M1 Cars

Stringfellow¹,

Paetsch²,

Amar³

2008

ASME 2008 Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference

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The Volpe Center and the Federal Railroad Administration are engaged in active research aimed at improving rail vehicle crashworthiness. One component of this research is focused on improving the performance of passenger train cab cars during collisions with heavy objects at grade crossings. New standards have been approved by the American Public Transportation Association that increase the strength requirements for cab car end structures and impose further requirements on their ability to absorb energy during a collision.The FRA has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to include these new standards in 49CFR238.211. These standards include requirements for demonstration of energy absorption through either quasi-static or dynamic tests. The intent of each test method is to demonstrate a minimum level of energy absorption-120,000 ft-lbs for a corner post load and 135,000 ft-lbs for a collision post load-while limiting occupied volume intrusion to less than 10 inches.To aid in the development of these new standards, the FRA and Volpe Center are conducting a set of three tests: quasi-static loading of both the collision and corner posts, and dynamic loading of the collision post only. (A dynamic test of the corner post was conducted as part of an earlier program). These tests were developed to illustrate testing methodologies and to demonstrate the feasibility of the new energy absorption and large deformation requirements. In+ each test, the post is loaded 30 inches above the underframe by a proxy object that is 36-inches wide, with a 48-inch diameter cylindrical face.In support of this testing program, the research reported here focused on the design and fabrication of end frames suitable for retrofitting onto the cab end of a Budd M1 cab car.The design of an end frame for retrofit onto the cab end of a Budd Pioneer cab car was modified to account for differences between the two car designs. In addition, reinforcements to the M1 car body and connections from the end frame to the car body were designed and fabricated.An FEA model of the end frame retrofit onto the M1 cab car was developed based upon the detailed design. A series of linear and nonlinear static, quasi-static, and dynamic FEAs were performed to evaluate the performance of the design. Preliminary analyses revealed the need for a few minor modifications to the connections in order to meet design requirements; these were incorporated into the final design for manufacture.Components for the end frame, connections between the end frame and the car body, and reinforcements to the car body were fabricated based on detailed design drawings and then assembled and connected to the reinforced M1 Car, from which the original end frame had been cut off.A successful dynamic test was completed in April, 2008; quasi-static tests are scheduled for summer 2008. The results of FEA model predictions are compared with the results of the dynamic test.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Development and Fabrication of State-of-the-Art End Structures for Budd M1 Cars

Stringfellow¹,

Paetsch²,

Amar³

2008

ASME 2008 Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference

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“…The Eulerian formulation is implemented using LS-DYNA. Previous research on tank car shell impacts [6,7] indicated that the Eulerian mesh provided a more accurate representation of fluid-structure interaction than the Lagrangian mesh when compared to test data.…”

Section: Finite Element Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In current tank car construction, the commodity tank is nominally made with normalized TC-128B steel. The properties listed in the table for TC-128B correspond to tensile measurements performed on tank car that punctured in a full-scale shell impact test [6]. Outer jackets are typically made with A1011 steel.…”

Section: Finite Element Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Validation for shell impacts was accomplished through comparisons with data obtained from full-scale tests that were performed at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado [6]. In this paper, verification of the FEA models for generalized head impacts is conducted by comparing results from both solvers with each other.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, the focus of the research has shifted to also maintain tank integrity under rare and extreme circumstances such as impact loading during accidents. Previous research has been conducted by the Volpe Center to examine tank car impacts to the head [5] and the side or shell [6,7] of tank cars. Such failures occur from collisions with objects such as couplers and wheels from adjacent cars, broken rails, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Finite Element Analyses of Railroad Tank Car Head Impacts

Tang

Yu²,

Gordon

et al. 2008

ASME 2008 Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference

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This paper describes engineering analyses of a railroad tank car impacted at its head by a rigid punch. This type of collision, referred to as a head impact, is examined using dynamic, nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA). Commercial software packages ABAQUS and LS-DYNA are used to carry out the nonlinear FEA. The sloshing response of fluid and coupled dynamic behavior between the fluid inside the tank car and the tank structure are characterized in the model using both Lagrangian and Eulerian mesh formulations. The analyses are applied to examine the structural behavior of railroad tank cars under a generalized head impact scenario. Structural behavior is calculated in terms of forces, deformations, and puncture resistance. Results from the two finite element codes are compared to verify this methodology for head impacts. In addition, FEA results are compared to those from a semi-empirical method.

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2017

Handbook of Structural Life Assessment

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Analyses of Full-Scale Tank Car Shell Impact Tests

Cited by 17 publications

References 5 publications

Development and Fabrication of State-of-the-Art End Structures for Budd M1 Cars

Development and Fabrication of State-of-the-Art End Structures for Budd M1 Cars

Finite Element Analyses of Railroad Tank Car Head Impacts

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