Tank Car Head Shield Fatigue Performance Study

Author : Charles E. Anderson
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 78 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (486 download)

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Download or read book Rationale for Generic Evaluation of Tank Car Thermal Protective Systems written by Charles E. Anderson and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A review of the research and development effort to provide railroad tank cars with thermal protection has now been presented. Also the basis for the development and operation of the BRL Torch Facility has been presented, along with the rationale for the testing criteria in qualifying protective thermal insulating systems. A Federal Regulation (49 CFR Pats 173, 179; Docket no. HM-144; Notice no. 76-12) was issued in October 1977, requiring that all DOT type 112A/114A tank cars carrying flammable commodities such as propane and vinyl chloride, be retrofitted with a thermal protection system. Unique was found that the regulation specific performance criteria as opposed to design criteria. In the past, regulations normally specified the materials, design, construction, etc. No room was left for innovation or improvement. The present regulation specifies the minimum thermal criteria of the insulating system. Any potential supplier or manufacturer simply submits his candidate insulation system for testing using the BRL Torch Facility. If the candidate system meets the thermal criteria, then it can be used on tank cars. Thus, the performance criteria encourages innovation in the industrial community. This enhances competition and development of better and cheaper systems. Besides the thermal criteria, two other performance criteria were specified in the regulation. E-shelf couplers are designed to prevent the car's coupler from uncoupling in a vertical or upward direction. Additionally, in the event of coupler override, head shields, which protect the ends of the tank car, must be added to prevent puncture of the tank shell. The head shield averts puncture, shell performation, and spilled contents. A solution was found in making the rail transport of hazardous materials safer. The solution was technically and economically feasible. The solution permitted a retrofit of the existing tank car fleet. It also allowed new tank cars to be easily built to the performance specifications. And finally, the solution could be implemented in a reasonable time frame since it provided for the use of "off-the-shelf," commercially available systems. A three-year retrofit program has just been completed. Train accidents, with fires, have involved the newly insultated cars. The insulating systems worked, precluding rupture and thus, the possible chain reaciton sequence of ruptures.