Analysis of the structural characteristics of an intermediate rail vehicle and their effect on vehicle crash performance

Abstract

In the current paper, the authors present an analysis of the structural characteristics of an intermediate rail vehicle and their effects on crash performance of the vehicle. Theirs is a simulation based analysis involving four stages. First, the crashworthiness of the vehicle is assessed by simulating an impact of the vehicle with a rigid wall. Second, the structural characteristics of the vehicle are analysed based on the structural behaviour during this impact and then the structure is modified. Third, the modified vehicle is tested again in the same impact scenario with a rigid wall. Finally, the modified vehicle is subjected to a modelled head-on impact which mirrors the real-life impact interface between two intermediate vehicles in a train impact.The emphasis of the current study is on the structural characteristics of the intermediate vehicle and the differences compared to an impact of a leading vehicle. The study shows that, similar to a leading vehicle, bending, or jackknifing is a main form of failure in this conventionally designed intermediate vehicle. It has also been found that the location of the door openings creates a major difference in the behaviour of an intermediate vehicle. It causes instability of the vehicle in the door area and leads to high stresses at the joint of the end beam with the solebar and shear stresses at the joint of the inner pillar with the cantrail. Apart from this, the shapes of the vehicle ends and impact interfaces are also different and have an effect on the crash performance of the vehicles. The simulation results allow the identification of the structural characteristics and show the effectiveness of relevant modifications. The conclusions have general relevance for the crashworthiness of rail vehicle design.BR Research (now AEAT-Rail) played a pioneering role in crashworthiness research and in the application of the results. In the late 1980s, the European railways' research organization (ORE) had formulated the Question B165 [1] and, as part of the ensuing BR led project, a crashworthy cab was developed and fullscale collision tests were conducted. Later, in the early 1990s, BR carried out further research, including the design of a crashworthy cab and full-scale train-totrain collision tests [2]. As part of these, the prevention of overriding was extensively studied. A new philosophy for the structural design of rail vehicles was proposed [3] and a British railway group standard for the crashworthiness of rail vehicles was adopted. This JRRT77

Background of recent developments of passenger railways in China, the UK and other European countries

“…It would probably be impossible for the UK rail industry to carry out such a project today. However, detailed research is ongoing although of a computational rather than experimental nature (Xue et al, 2005;2007).…”

Qualitative Comparison of the Characteristics of Articulated and Non-Articulated Trains and Their Effects on Impact

“…The differences between the leading end and the intermediate interfaces of a train can be classified into the following three points [11]:…”

Crashworthiness Analysis of the Structure of Metro Vehicles Constructed From Typical Materials and the Lumped Parameter Model of Frontal Impact

“…Xue et al (2005) investigated the crashworthiness of a head vehicle, concluding that the downward bending deformation was the innate weakness of a rail vehicle collision and that folding was the main failure mode of the structure. The responses and locations of weakness of the head vehicle and the middle vehicles in the same collision scenarios were compared, and three different collision behaviours of the head and middle vehicle were obtained, including different collision interfaces, different body structures and different collision sequences; structural improvement schemes were also investigated in their research (Xue et al 2007). Hosseini-Tehrani and Nankali (2010) noted that the head design of a high-speed train should not only consider the aerodynamic performance and noise but also the crashworthiness.…”