Side Impact Test and Analyses of a DOT-105 Tank Car

2019Final report; Apr 17, 2016Francisco Gonzales, IIIPDFTech ReportDOT/FRA/ORD-19/12DTFR53-11-D-00008Task Order 008Tank carsFinite element methodMathematical methodsPuncture resistanceImpact testsSide collisionsTransportation safetyDOT-105 tank cartank car performanceram headram cartoxic by inhalationTIHfinite element analysisFEAfinite elementFEColoradoUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Railroad Policy and DevelopmentCarolan, MichaelRakoczy, PrzemyslawJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)Transportation Technology Center, Inc.United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Railroad Policy and DevelopmentNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Vehicle DesignVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center;Federal Railroad AdministrationTransportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) conducted a side impact test on a Department of Transportation (DOT)-105A500W (referred to DOT-105) tank car to evaluate the performance of it under dynamic impact conditions and to provide data for the verification and refinement of a computational model. The tank car was filled with water to approximately 89.4 percent of its volume and pressurized to 100 psi. The tank car was impacted at 15.2 mph by a 297,125-pound ram car with 12- by 12-inch ram head fitted to the ram car. The ram car impacted the tank center; it punctured the tank after slowing nearly to a stop. The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) performed finite element (FE) modeling to estimate the overall response of the tank to the impact. The pre-test model used two different material models for the steel in the tank car shell. The pre-test model that used a lower-ductility material response was found to be in very good agreement with the test results. After the test, material coupons were cut from the car and subjected to tensile testing. The post-test FE model was updated to include the actual material behavior of the test car, and continued to give very good agreement with the test measurements. The test data is intended to be useful to entities who wish to develop FE models of tank cars under similar puncture conditions in their modeling validation and verification efforts. By comparing model results to actual test measurements, confidence can be developed in the modeling techniques when simulating other impact conditions.78