Evaluating Abdominal Injury in Impacts with Workstation Tables

Parent, Daniel; Tyrell, David; Perlman, Benjamin; Matthews, Peter

doi:10.3141/1908-25

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…These experiments implemented advanced ATDs to measure the abdominal response to the table impact. This test confirmed the need for crashworthiness improvements in the design of the workstation table [5]. Additionally, these test results serve as a point of reference to evaluate the performance of an improved design.…”

Section: Test the Baseline Designsupporting

confidence: 62%

“…A simulation was run using the predicted acceleration from the CEM two-car full-scale test as the input. This simulation was used to determine the proper instrumentation for the test, as well as the range of expected outcomes [5]. …”

Section: Analyze the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Refined computer simulations can assist in the development and evaluation of potential improvements. For instance, analysis shows that a table with an energy-absorbing edge can reduce the thoracic and abdominal injury risk to the occupants by as much as 50% [5].…”

Section: Refine the Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second element is that the table must limit the load imparted on the upper abdomen of the occupants. A computer simulation refined after the full-scale test was used to demonstrate that a table that fulfills both of these elements could significantly reduce the thoracic and abdominal injury risk to occupants seated at the table during a collision [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Extensive work on the first two steps is reported in Reference [2]. Corresponding detail on steps three and four is described in Reference [5]. This paper concentrates on the fifth step in the process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design of a Workstation Table With Improved Crashworthiness Performance

Parent

Tyrell

Rancatore³

et al. 2005

Rail Transportation

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Work is currently underway to develop strategies to protect rail passengers seated at workstation tables during a collision or derailment. Investigations have shown that during a collision, these tables can present a hostile secondary impact environment to the occupants.This effort includes the design, fabrication, and testing of an improved workstation table. The key criteria for the design of this table are that it must compartmentalize the occupants and reduce the risk of injury relative to currently installed tables. Strengthening the attachments between the table and the passenger car body will ensure compartmentalization. Employing energy-absorbing mechanisms to limit and distribute the load imparted on the abdomen of the occupant will reduce injury risk.This paper details the design requirements for an improved workstation table, which include service, fabrication, and occupant protection requirements. Service requirements define the geometry of the table, the performance of the table under normal service loads, and the maintenance of the table over the period of installation. Fabrication requirements define the limitations on material usage and construction costs. Occupant protection requirements define the ability of the table to reduce injury risk to the occupants under collision loads. The table must also conform to federal regulations pertaining to interior structures on passenger rail equipment.Four design concepts are evaluated against these design requirements. These concepts present different modes of deformation or displacement that absorb energy during impact. These concepts have been evaluated, and the highest-ranking concept involves a crushable foam or honeycomb table edge attached to a rigid center frame. Preliminary results from a computer simulation demonstrate the effectiveness of this concept in reducing the injury risk to the occupants.

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Section: Test the Baseline Designsupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Analyze the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Refine the Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design of a Workstation Table With Improved Crashworthiness Performance

Parent

Tyrell

Rancatore³

et al. 2005

Rail Transportation

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Overview of a crash energy management specification for passenger rail equipment

Tyrell¹,

Martinez²,

Severson³

et al. 2006

Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE/ASME Joint Rail Conference

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Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment: Occupant Experiments

Severson¹,

Parent²

2006

Rail Transportation

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As part of an ongoing passenger rail crashworthiness effort, a full-scale impact test of a train with crash energy management (CEM) passenger cars was conducted on March 23, 2006. In this test, a train made up of a CEM cab car, four CEM coach cars, and a locomotive impacted a stationary train of similar mass at 30.8 mph. This test included five occupant experiments on the cab car and the first coach car to evaluate occupant injury risk and seat/table performance during the collision using anthropomorphic devices (ATDs).Three occupant protection strategies were evaluated in these occupant experiments. Forward-facing intercity seats were modified to reduce the high head injury risk observed in a previous test. Prototype commuter seats, included in both forward-facing and rear-facing orientations, were designed to mitigate the consequences of higher decelerations in the lead two CEM cars. Improved workstation tables, tested with two different advanced ATDs, were designed to compartmentalize the occupants and reduce the upper abdominal injury risk to the occupants.Similar experiments were also conducted on the two-car impact test of CEM equipment [1]. The experiments described in this paper were conducted to evaluate the level of occupant protection provided by seats and tables that were specifically designed to improve crashworthiness. Pre-test analyses indicated that the occupant environment would be more severe for the CEM test than for the comparable test of conventional equipment. The environment in the leading cab car was predicted to be similar to a 12g, 250 millisecond triangular crash pulse. The environment in the first coach was predicted to be comparable to an 8g, 250 millisecond crash pulse.To aid the design of the occupant experiments, occupant response models were developed for each of the occupant experiments using MADYMO. These models were developed for the previous two-car CEM full-scale test and adapted to the newly designed commuter seats and tables. Predictions of the occupant response during the CEM train-to-train test were developed before the test. The models were subsequently finetuned to better agree with the test data, so that many different collision scenarios may be simulated.Most of the test results were similar to the pre-test predictions. The modified intercity seats successfully compartmentalized the occupants. The risk of both head and neck injury, however, were above the respective injury threshold values. In the forward-facing commuter seat experiment the impacted seat experienced a partial failure of the seat pedestal attachment, resulting in loss of compartmentalization. The attachment failures occurred because the seats weren't fabricated as designed. However, the occupants were still compartmentalized, and the injury criteria were within survivable levels. The rear-facing commuter seat experiment experienced a more significant failure of the seat pedestal attachment, resulting in a loss of compartmentalization. The attachment failures likely occurred because the seats w...

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Evaluating Abdominal Injury in Impacts with Workstation Tables

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

Design of a Workstation Table With Improved Crashworthiness Performance

Design of a Workstation Table With Improved Crashworthiness Performance

Overview of a crash energy management specification for passenger rail equipment

Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment: Occupant Experiments

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