Developing strategies for maintaining tank car integrity during train accidents
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Developing strategies for maintaining tank car integrity during train accidents

Filetype[PDF-254.32 KB]


English
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  • Alternative Title:
    Proceedings of the 1st Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference
  • Creators:
  • Corporate Creators:
    John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
  • Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Publication/ Report Number:
    RTDF2007-46015
  • Resource Type:
    Proceedings
  • Geographical Coverage:
    United States
  • Corporate Publisher:
    American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • NTL Classification:
    NTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-RAIL TRANSPORTATION;NTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail Safety;NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail Safety;NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Vehicle Design;
  • Abstract:
    Accidents that lead to rupture of tank cars carrying

    hazardous materials can cause serious public safety hazards and

    substantial economic losses. The desirability of improved tank

    car designs that are better equipped to keep the commodity

    contained during impacts is clear. This paper describes a

    framework for developing strategies to maintain the structural

    integrity of tank cars during accidents.

    The target of this effort is to design a tank car capable of

    surviving impacts without loss of lading at twice the impact

    speed of current equipment (or, equivalently, is capable of

    absorbing four times the impact energy). The methodology

    developed breaks down the process into three steps:

    1. Define the impact scenarios of concern

    2. Choose strategies to mitigate failure modes

    present in each scenario

    3. Design and select technology and tactics to

    implement the mitigation strategies

    The railroad accidents involving tank cars that occurred in

    Minot, ND, in 2002, and Graniteville, SC, in 2005, are

    examined to define the impact scenarios. Analysis of these

    accidents shows that two car-to-car impact scenarios are of

    greatest concern: head impact, where railroad equipment

    impacts the end of a tank car and possibly overrides it, and

    shell impact, where the tank car is impacted on its side,

    possibly off center.

    A conceptual design that can protect its lading at twice the

    impact speed of current equipment in the car-to-car impact

    scenarios is being developed. The conceptual design includes

    four functions to meet the impact requirements: blunts the

    impact loads, absorbs collision energy, strengthens the tank,

    and controls the load path to assure that loads are blunted and

    that energy is absorbed before the tank is loaded.

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