| Title | Full-Scale Shell Impact Test of a DOT-105 Tank Car [Research Results] |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 80968 |
| Corporate Creator | United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development |
| Corporate Contributor |
John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.); Transportation Technology Center, Inc. |
| Publisher | United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development |
| Publication Date | 20190200 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | On August 1, 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a full-scale shell impact test of a DOT-105A500W (DOT-105) tank car at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. The shell of the car was struck at its mid-length by a 297,000 pound ram car equipped with a 6-inch by 6-inch impactor. An objective of conducting this test was to collect data that can be used to verify and/or validate results from finite element analyses (FEA) as part of a framework for comparing the puncture resistance of various tank car designs. The data from this test will be publicly available to facilitate their use in future model validation activities in a full Technical Report (under review). The tank car was filled to 89.4 percent of its capacity with water. The car was pressurized to ~100 psi, which is a typical in-service pressure for this type of tank car. Based on pre-test FEA, the target test speed was set between 9.5 and 10 mph so that puncture was a likely outcome. The actual impact occurred at 9.7 mph. This speed corresponds to an impact energy of approximately 1 million foot-pounds of energy. The tank was punctured after an indentation of 27 inches, at a peak force of ~840,000 pounds. Based on review of the test measurements, the impactor slowed to less than 1 mph when puncture occurred, confirming the model prediction that an impact speed of 9.7 mph only slightly exceeds the speed necessary to puncture this tank car. |
| Rosap ID | dot:56199 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/56199 |
| TRT Terms | Crash tests; Finite element method; Puncture resistance; Tank cars; Validation; Impact tests; Hazardous materials |
| General Subjects | finite element analysis; FEA; model validation |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| TRIS Online Accession No |
1696587 |
| Report Number | RR 19-04 |
| Resource type | Brief |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/80000/80900/80968/ResearchResults_Impact_Test_of_a_DOT-105_Tank_Car_-_6x6_Inch_Indenter.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |