Raking Impact Testing of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Fuel Tanks
- Federal Railroad Administration
On December 18, 2018, a quasi-static raking test of a diesel multiple unit (DMU) fuel tank was conducted at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. This test resulted in puncture of the tank's end sheet and a 22.6-inch tear in its bottom sheet. On November 13, 2019, a second quasi-static raking test of a DMU fuel tank was conducted, which scraped the tank's bottom sheet for 44.6 inches and produced two distinct puncture locations. A finite element (FE) model was developed of the fuel tank and indenter to prepare for the raking tests. Overall, both the pre- and post-test FE models exhibited limited agreement with the test measurements up to the point of material failure, when the fuel tank begins to tear.