United States Department of Transportation
i
Impact Test Data Analysis for Load Environment Characterization of Tank Car Stub Sill During Yard Operations
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2020-03-01
[PDF-4.77 MB]
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Edition:Technical Report
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Abstract:Fractures in the stub sills of tank cars pose a significant problem for the rail industry due to the potential for damage to the tank structure and eventual release of the contents. Previous research by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) revealed that high magnitude coupling forces that occur in yard operations have the potential to exceed yield limits of mild steel. In 2018, FRA, Union Tank Car, and Amsted Rail completed a cooperative test program at Amsted Rail’s test facility in Camp Hill, PA, to characterize coupling loads for tank cars in yard operations. FRA contracted ENSCO, Inc. to conduct more than 700 impact tests simulating various coupling conditions. For each impact test, 40 data channels comprised of acceleration, force, speed, and strain were recorded. The test data was analyzed to study the effect of different parameters on the coupling behavior. The statistical analysis revealed that the peak longitudinal coupler force is mostly influenced by coupling speed and draft gear type, not configurations of loaded and empty cars. However, the impulse at the impact, a measure of transferred energy between cars, is largely dependent on configurations of loaded and empty cars as opposed to draft gear type.
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