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Full-Scale Shell Impact Test of a DOT-113C120W9 Tank Car Filled with Liquid Nitrogen

Document Series:
Research Results
Author:
  • Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
RR 22-10
Office
RDI-22
Subject:
Hazardous Materials
Keywords:
DOT-113, tank cars, impact testing, puncture resistance, hazardous materials, HAZMAT, finite element analysis, model validation, rolling stock

On May 14, 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a full-scale shell impact test (Test 13) of a DOT-113C120W9 (also identified as DOT-113) specification tank car at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. This test was the final impact test in a planned series of four. A DOT-113 is a double-walled tank car (i.e., tank-within-a-tank) designed to transport authorized cryogenic liquids by rail. The tested tank car was purpose-built for this test to meet the specifications for a DOT-113C120W9 tank car. The tank car had a volume of approximately 34,500 gallons. During the test, a ~297,000-pound ram car equipped with a 12-inch by 12-inch impactor struck the outer shell of the tank car at its mid-height and longitudinally offset 10.8 feet towards the A-end. The researchers intended the offset impact location to be consistent with the impact location in the previous side impact test of a legacy DOT-113 tank car (Test 10).


Last updated: Thursday, July 7, 2022