• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.843-850
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the structural risk and weakness of a railway tank car through nonlinear collision analysis according to overseas collision safety standards. The goal is to propose a crash safety design guideline for railway tank cars for transporting dangerous goods in Korea. We analyzed the buffer impact test procedure of railway freight cars prescribed in EN 12663-2 and the tank puncture test criteria prescribed in 49CFR179. A nonlinear finite element model according to each standard was modeled using LS-DYNA, a commercial finite element analysis solver. As a result of the buffing impact test simulation, it was predicted that plastic deformation would not occur at a collision speed of 6 km/h or less. However, plastic deformation was detected at the rear of the center sill and at the tank center supporting the structure at a collision speed of 8 km/h or more. As a result of a head-on test simulation of tank puncture, the outer tank shell was destroyed at the corner of the tank head when 4% of the kinetic energy of the impacter was absorbed. The tank shell was destroyed in the area of contact with the impacter in the test mode analysis of tank shell puncture when the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle was reduced by 30%. Therefore, the simulation results of the puncture test show that fracture at the tank shell and leakage of the internal material is expected. Consequently, protection and structural design reinforcement are required on railway tank cars in Korea.