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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Raking Impact Testing of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Fuel Tanks

Document Series:
Technical Reports
Author:
  • Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
DOT/FRA/ORD-21/33
Office
RDI-22
Subject:
Rolling Stock
Keywords:
Diesel multiple unit fuel tanks, impact test, crashworthiness, finite element analysis, puncture resistance, DMU, passenger locomotive, fuel tanks, raking, rolling stock

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.


Last updated: Friday, December 10, 2021