Analysis of Railroad Tank Car Shell Impacts Using Finite Element Method

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

doi:10.1115/jrc2008-63014

Cited by 10 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…McKeighan and Kirkpatrick have also evaluated the performance of different steel materials using Bao‐Wierzbicki fracture model . Jeong et al, carried out elastic‐plastic finite element analysis of railroad tank car heads and shells under impact loads using a commercially available finite element code in ABAQUS …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Puncture Resistant Steel for Tank Cars

Abotula

Konda

Walsh

et al. 2018

steel research int.

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A new puncture resistant steel is developed to improve the safety of tank cars transporting flammable liquids. The puncture behavior of the tank cars is simulated using a ductile damage model available in the finite element program, ABAQUS. The damage model assumes that, for a given stress‐state (triaxiality), failure initiates at the maximum load‐carrying capacity. The subsequent damage evolution is defined by its fracture energy. To investigate a range of triaxiality conditions, uniaxial tensile tests are performed on notched, round‐bar specimens for both current and new steel grades. Numerical simulations of each test are performed and validated with the test data. The relation between the equivalent plastic strain at failure initiation and the stress triaxiality (damage initiation) is obtained from the test data and the simulations, as is the fracture energy (damage evolution). Impact simulations are performed on the tank car and the results show that the new steel absorbs more impact energy, thereby delaying puncture.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Puncture Resistant Steel for Tank Cars

Abotula

Konda

Walsh

et al. 2018

steel research int.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Update on Ongoing Tank Car Crashworthiness Research: Predicted Performance and Fabrication Approach

Carolan

Tyrell

Talamini

2008

IEEE/ASME/ASCE 2008 Joint Rail Conference

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Research is currently underway to develop strategies for maintaining the structural integrity of railroad tank cars carrying hazardous materials during collisions. This research, sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), has focused on four design functions to accomplish this goal: blunting the impact load, absorbing the collision energy, strengthening the commodity tank, and controlling the load path into the tank. Previous papers have been presented outlining the weight and space restrictions for this new design, as well as the approach being taken in developing the design. The performance goals for the new car have also been outlined. A key goal for the new design is the ability to contain its lading at four times the impact energy of the baseline equipment.Presently, a preliminary design has been developed that will incorporate these four functions together. This new design features a conventional commodity tank with external reinforcements to strengthen the tank. The reinforced tank is situated on a structural foam cradle, within an external carbody. This carbody has been designed utilizing welded steel sandwich panels. The body is designed to take all of the inservice loads, removing the commodity tank from the load path during normal operations. Additionally, the carbody panels will serve as an energy-absorbing mechanism in the event of a collision.Preliminary steps for fabricating and assembling the new tank car design have been outlined. These steps were developed with the intention of paralleling existing tank car fabrication process as much as is practical.Using the commercial finite element analysis (FEA) software ABAQUS/Explicit, the improved design has been analyzed for its response to an impact by a rigid punch. Simulations of two generalized impact scenarios have been made for this rigid punch impacting the improved tank car head as well as the improved tank car shell. Results of these analyses, including the force-displacement curves for both impacts, are presented within this paper. These results show that an improved-design tank car can contain the commodity for a head impact with eight times the energy of the baseline car, and four times the energy for a shell impact.

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Improved Tank Car Design Development: Ongoing Studies on Sandwich Structures

Jeong

Tyrell

Carolan

et al. 2009

2009 Joint Rail Conference

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The Government and industry have a common interest in improving the safety performance of railroad tank cars carrying hazardous materials. Research is ongoing to develop strategies to maintain the structural integrity of railroad tank cars carrying hazardous materials (hazmat) during collisions.This paper describes engineering studies on improved tank car concepts. The process used to formulate these concepts is based on a traditional mechanical engineering design approach. This approach includes initially defining the desired performance, developing strategies that are effective in meeting this performance, and developing the tactics for implementing the strategies. The tactics are embodied in the concept. The tactics and concept evolve through engineering design studies, until a design satisfying all of the design requirements is developed.Design requirements include service, manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and inspection requirements, as well as crashworthiness performance requirements.One of the concepts under development encases the pressurized commodity-carrying tank in a separate carbody. Moreover, this improved tank car concept treats the pressurized commodity-carrying tank as a protected entity. Welded steel sandwich structures are examined as a means to offer protection of the commodity tank against penetrations from impacting objects in the event of a collision. Sandwich structures can provide greater strength than solid plates of equal weight. Protection of the tank is realized through blunting of the impacting object and absorption of the collision energy. Blunting distributes impact loads over a larger area of the tank. Energy absorption reduces the demands on the commodity tank in the event of an impact. In addition, the exterior carbody structure made from sandwich panels is designed to take all of the in-service loads, removing the commodity tank from the load path during normal operations.Design studies described in this paper focus on the protection aspect of using sandwich structures. Studies are conducted to investigate the influence of different parameters, such as sandwich height and core geometry, on the forcedeformation behavior of sandwich structures. Calculations are carried out numerically using nonlinear finite element analysis. These analyses are used to examine the crashworthiness performance of the conceptual design under generalized impact scenarios.

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Analysis of Railroad Tank Car Shell Impacts Using Finite Element Method

Cited by 10 publications

References 7 publications

Analysis of Puncture Resistant Steel for Tank Cars

Analysis of Puncture Resistant Steel for Tank Cars

Update on Ongoing Tank Car Crashworthiness Research: Predicted Performance and Fabrication Approach

Improved Tank Car Design Development: Ongoing Studies on Sandwich Structures

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