A Study on Puncture Resistance of Composite Metal Foam Core Sandwich Panels

Abstract

Each year, millions of tons of hazardous materials are shipped through railroads in North America. [1] These shipments contain poisonous, flammable, explosive, or radioactive materials that are harmful to humans and the environment. [2] Accidents involving these tank cars can create punctures that release these hazardous materials into the surrounding area, resulting in human fatalities and substantial damage to the environment. [2] In 2005, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company train collided with another train in Graniteville, South Carolina. [2] The impact punctured a chlorine containing tank car and the subsequent release of material resulted in nine fatalities due to chlorine vapor inhalation. [2] A similar incident occurred one year earlier in Macdona, Texas, when a Union Pacific Railroad freight train struck a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company freight train. [3] This accident punctured a chlorine containing tank car on the Union Pacific train releasing a noxious cloud of chlorine gas into the surrounding area. [3] This noxious cloud resulted in the deaths of the train conductor and two residents of the area. [3] A significant example of the destruction that a punctured tank car causes can be seen in the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster in July 2013, which resulted in 47 casualties and 2000 evacuations. [4] Fire started immediately around the punctured tank cars carrying crude oil. The fire caused further breaches to almost all of the 63 tank cars that had derailed. [4] Whether the derailment of a hazardous material carrying tank car is caused by a fault in the railroad tracks or a fault in the tank car itself, it is important to increase the puncture resistance of the tank cars, so that similar situations do not happen. Some have suggested a speed limit reduction for tank cars carrying hazardous materials, but examples, such as the Seabrook, Texas derailment in January 2005, which occurred at only 5 mph, show that even at lower speeds, puncture occured and was followed by the spilled diesel fuel catching fire. [5] To prevent future accidents, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has shifted its research focus from tank car safety under normal loading conditions to safety under accident conditions. [6] This has resulted in new standards for tank car survivability during impacts. [6] According to the 2019-2020 National Transportation Safety Board Most Wanted List for safety recommendations, only 16 percent of tank cars carrying flammable liquids meet the improved safety specifications for the DOT-117 and DOT-117R tank cars. [7] The improved requirements include a thicker shell of 1.4 cm (9/16 of an inch) and added thermal protection. [8] The Association of American Railroads' Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, Section C-III, Specification for Tank Cars identifies two grades of steel suitable for the construction of railcar tanks. [9] TC128, Grade B, is a high-strength carbon manganese steel, whereas the Association of American Railroad (AAR) and American Society for Testing and Mate...

Thermal Response of Steel–Steel Composite Metal Foams under Small‐Scale Torch‐Fire Conditions

“…Furthermore, this material has also shown superior thermal properties and excellent flame-retardant performance compared to its parent material. [2] Owing to its extraordinary puncture resistance [3] and thermal protection properties, steelsteel CMF (S-S CMF) has been of interest to explore potential applications in the next generation of tank cars carrying HAZMAT.The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has outlined the prevalence of tank cars for transport of hazardous materials (HAZMAT), with a yearly investment of approximately $25 billion to improve the safety of HAZMAT transportation. [4] This investment in safety is essential due to the catastrophic effects of accidents involving tank cars carrying HAZMAT.…”

Numerical Modeling of Tank Cars Carrying Hazardous Materials With and Without Composite Metal Foam

“…Millions of tons of hazardous materials (HAZMATs) like crude oil and other flammable liquids are transported through roadways and railways every year in the United States [1]. The US department of transportation (DOT) and the federal railroad administration (FRA) investigate and regulate tank cars for transport of HAZMATs [1].…”

“…Millions of tons of hazardous materials (HAZMATs) like crude oil and other flammable liquids are transported through roadways and railways every year in the United States [1]. The US department of transportation (DOT) and the federal railroad administration (FRA) investigate and regulate tank cars for transport of HAZMATs [1]. The cylindrical tank cars used in HAZMAT transportation consist of an outer steel jacket, middle insulation layer, and an inner steel tank shell with two ellipsoidal heads set convex outward at each end called the head shields [2–4].…”

“…Serious consequences associated with railroad accidents involving DOT tank cars have unfortunately led to fatalities, significant environmental repercussions, and considerable monetary damages [6–8]. In 2005, railroad collision led to puncture in DOT 105 tank car causing poisonous chlorine gas leak and nine fatalities [1, 9]. In a yet another railroad accident, DOT 111 tank cars derailed leading to leak of combustible materials, fire, and significant environmental damages to the town of East Palestine, Ohio [10, 11].…”

“…In a yet another railroad accident, DOT 111 tank cars derailed leading to leak of combustible materials, fire, and significant environmental damages to the town of East Palestine, Ohio [10, 11]. Explosion after derailment of DOT 111 tank cars in Lac‐Mégantic caused 47 causalities [1, 7, 12]. Protocols addressing flaws associated with previous generation DOT tank cars have led to the introduction of a newer generation of tank cars called DOT 117 that is equipped with updated tank car shell thickness, thermal insulation layer, and improved head shield design [4, 10].…”