Detailed modeling of the train-to-train impact test : rail passenger equipment impact tests

1095684183447683Final report; November 2001-November 2002PDFTech ReportDOT/FRA/ORD-07/20DOT-VNTSC-FRA-07-06CB035/RR28Cabs (Vehicle compartments)CollisionsCrashworthinessFinite element methodLocomotivesRailroad safetyRailroad trafficRailroad trainsTrain operationsTransportation safetyUnited States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and DevelopmentStringfellow, RichardLlana, PatriciaTIAX LLCUnited States. Federal Railroad AdministrationJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Vehicle DesignNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-RAIL TRANSPORTATIONNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterThis report describes the results of a finite element-based analysis of the train-to-train impact test conducted at the Federal Railroad Administration\ue2\u20ac\u2122s Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO, on January 31, 2002. The ABAQUS/Explicit dynamic finite element code was used to simulate the first 0.5 second (s) of the collision. The primary objective of this program was to extend the use of finite element-based models for simulating the crush of train structures to include vehicle-to-vehicle interactions. A subset of the data collected during the test was first selected as a basis for comparison with model predictions. A finite element model of the train was then developed. This model includes detailed representations of the end structures of the cab car and the locomotive, and coarser representations of the back of these vehicle bodies and the trucks of the cab car. Connections between the cab car body and trucks were modeled to allow for lift of the body during the collision. Trailing vehicles and vehicle-to-vehicle connections were modeled using lumped mass parameters. The results of the model were compared to the selected data. These comparisons indicate that the model captures many aspects of collision behavior, with a fair degree of accuracy, especially over the first 0.25 s of the collisio