Proceedings of the 2005 Joint Rail Conference

PDFProceedingsRTD2005-70045Prototype testsCollisionsCabs (Vehicle compartments)CrashworthinessImpact testsLoad testsCompression testsPassenger carsCommuter carsLocomotivesFracture testsPassenger compartmentsUnited StatesAmerican Society of Mechanical EngineersInstitute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersTyrell, DavidJacobsen, KarinaParent, DanielPerlman, A. BenjaminJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)Tufts UniversityUnited States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and DevelopmentAGR-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Vehicle DesignVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterPreparations are ongoing for a full-scale train-to-trainimpact test of crash-energy management (CEM) equipment,during which a cab car-led passenger consist, initially movingat 30 mph, will impact a standing locomotive-led consist. Thecolliding consists will be of approximately equal masses. Thistest is planned for November 2005.The purpose of the full-scale testing program is to definethe crashworthiness performance of conventional and CEMpassenger equipment. In the train-to-train test of conventionalequipment, the lead cab car crushed by nearly 22 feet andoverrode the standing locomotive. In the train-to-train test ofCEM equipment, the leading end of the impacting cab car isexpected to crush by approximately 3 feet and distribute crushto the successive car interfaces. The consist is expected toremain in-line, with no lateral buckling and override modes ofdeformation.This paper describes the steps being taken to develop aCEM cab car crush zone design, based upon the recentlydeveloped and tested coach car crush zone design. Thecomponents required for an effective CEM cab car designinclude a push-back coupler, energy absorbing elements, acrushable anti-climber to manage the interaction with thelocomotive, and a cage for preserving the operator's space.Preliminary predictions of the dynamic response of the twoconsists include the distribution of crush among the cars in thetrain and the decelerations of the cars. These predictions arecompared with the measurements made during the conventionaltrain-to-train test.While the CEM design preserves occupant volume, thesecondary impact velocities in the lead cab car and the firstcoach car may be more severe. Five occupant experiments willbe included on the cab car and first coach car of the full-scaletrain-to-train impact test to ensure that the occupants areprotected during the collision. These occupant experimentswill include modified versions of forward-facing intercity seats,forward- and rear-facing commuter seats, and facing commuterseats with intervening workstation tables