Full scale tank car coupler impact tests

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Proceedings of 2003 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and RD&D Expo
• Creators:
  Lyons, Matthew L ; Riddell, William T ; Koch, Kevin D.
• Corporate Creators:
  John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.) ; Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Railroad Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Accelerometers Couplers Fracture Tests Impact Tests Railroad Safety Speed Tank Cars
• Publication/ Report Number:
  IMECE2003-44062
• Resource Type:
  Proceedings
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• NTL Classification:
  AGR-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITY ; NTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail Safety ; NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail Safety ; NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITY
• Abstract:
  Full scale tests were performed to investigate various
  
  aspects of tank car behavior during coupler impacts. A tank car
  
  was equipped with 37 accelerometers and an instrumented
  
  coupler. Two series of full scale coupler impact tests,
  
  comprising 26 impacts, are discussed. In the first series, the
  
  tank car was empty. In the second series, the tank car was full.
  
  A range of impact speeds was investigated. Accelerometer
  
  response and coupler force were measured for each test.
  
  Aspects of the tank car response to coupler impacts can be
  
  determined by studying the coupler force versus time
  
  relationship, Shock Response Spectrum (SRS), and Power
  
  Spectral Density (PSD) analyses of accelerations measured on
  
  the tank car body. The dominant draft gear load transfer
  
  mechanism can be determined from the coupler force vs. time
  
  relationship. Accelerations were measured at many locations
  
  on the tank car. However, based on preliminary analyses, a
  
  single location near the manway was chosen for detailed study.
  
  SRS results of accelerations at this location show good
  
  correlation with the peak coupler force, although different
  
  relationships were observed when the car was empty than when
  
  it was full. PSD analyses of empty tank cars have peaks at
  
  different frequencies than PSD analyses of full tank cars, so a
  
  PSD analysis could be used to determine whether a car is
  
  empty or full. Therefore, the combination of SRS and PSD
  
  results suggests the possibility of estimating peak coupler
  
  forces resulting from yard impacts based on SRS and PSD
  
  analyses of accelerations measured at a single location on a
  
  tank car.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  Federal Railroad Administration Volpe Center
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:6cdbc6b8544c11f0008ce9dabc69a3f6cd6de482d2ed4ecad4692647b0d321d8
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/9910/dot_9910_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 438.66 KB ]