Effectiveness of alternative rail passenger equipment crashworthiness strategies

Jacobsen,; Severson,; Perlman,

doi:10.1109/rrcon.2006.215302

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

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Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment: Structural Results

Tyrell

Jacobsen

Martinez

et al. 2006

Rail Transportation

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On March 23, 2006, a full-scale test was conducted on a passenger rail train retrofitted with newly developed cab end and non-cab end crush zone designs. This test was conducted as part of a larger testing program to establish the degree of enhanced performance of alternative design strategies for passenger rail crashworthiness. The alternative design strategy is referred to as crash energy management (CEM), where the collision energy is absorbed in defined unoccupied locations throughout the train in a controlled progressive manner. By controlling the deformations at critical locations the CEM train is able to protect against two dangerous modes of deformation: override and large-scale lateral buckling.The CEM train impacted a standing locomotive-led train of equal mass at 31 mph on tangent track. The interactions at the colliding interface and between coupled interfaces performed as expected. Crush was pushed back to subsequent crush zones and the moving passenger train remained in-line and upright on the tracks with minimal vertical and lateral motions.The added complexity associated with this test over previous full-scale tests of the CEM design was the need to control the interactions at the colliding interface between the two very different engaging geometries. The cab end crush zone performed as intended because the locomotive coupler pushed underneath the cab car buffer beam, and the deformable anti-climber engaged the uneven geometry of the locomotive anti-climber and short hood. Space was preserved for the operator as the cab end crush zone collapsed.The coupled interfaces performed as predicted by the analysis and previous testing. The conventional interlocking anti-climbers engaged after the pushback couplers triggered and absorbed the prescribed amount of energy. Load was transferred through the integrated end frame, and progressive controlled collapsed was contained to the energy absorbers at the roof and floor level. The results of this full-scale test have clearly demonstrated the significant enhancement in safety for passengers and crew members involved in a push mode collision with a standing locomotive train.

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Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment: Structural Results

Tyrell

Jacobsen

Martinez

et al. 2006

Rail Transportation

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Construction of Collision Equivalent Scaled Model for Locomotive Using Multi-Parameter Nondimensional Method

Ke-fei

Duan

et al. 2023

Int. J. Str. Stab. Dyn.

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At present, the research on crashworthiness of locomotive mainly adopts the method of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and component test, it is too expensive and less repeatable to carry out vehicle crash tests. Therefore, a method to construct the collision equivalent scaled model (SM) for locomotive based on multi-parameter nondimensional is presented in this paper. Firstly, an equivalent method of structural dynamic responses was proposed. The extraction process and analysis method of dynamic responses for thin plate structures widely existing in locomotives were studied. Then, according to the structural characteristics of the locomotive, the partition equivalent design was carried out, and a dimensionless analysis model of impact dynamic responses for SM was established. Finally, the SM crash test was carried out to verify the effectiveness of collision equivalent SM established, it was found that the SM has high reliability, it can achieve equivalence with the locomotive for energy absorption, average impact force, average acceleration of cab and center of gravity of vehicle body. Carrying out the SM crash test can study the reasonable configuration of energy absorption parameters for locomotives and obtain the impact dynamic responses of locomotives under different configurations of energy absorption parameters.

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Effectiveness of alternative rail passenger equipment crashworthiness strategies

Abstract: Crashworthiness strategies, which include crash energy management (CEM), pushback couplers, and push/pull operation, are evaluated and compared under specific collision conditions. Comparisons of three strategies are evaluated in this paper:

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment: Structural Results

Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment: Structural Results

Construction of Collision Equivalent Scaled Model for Locomotive Using Multi-Parameter Nondimensional Method

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