Development of Crash Energy Management Performance Requirements for Light-Rail Vehicles

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Management ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Management Performance ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Rail Vehicles

Development of Crash Energy Management for Light Rail Vehicles

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. Kirkpatrick ◽  
Robert A. MacNeill ◽  
Glenn Gough ◽  
Emil Hice
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vehicle Design ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Rail Vehicle ◽  
Design Methodologies ◽  
Rail Vehicles ◽  
Rail Industry

Rail vehicle safety standards for the United States have historically placed emphasis on static structural strength requirements to ensure safety. The primary requirements to ensure crash safety of light rail vehicles were static load cases including car body buff loads, collision post loads, corner post loads, etc. More recent developments for light rail vehicles in the United States have included crash energy management design methodologies. This is consistent with the trend in other modes of transportation applying modern crashworthiness engineering. The challenges of incorporating crash energy management into light rail vehicles are the lack of crashworthiness standards for the light rail industry, the introduction of new design methodologies, and the concerns of compatibility of new and older equipment. This issue of compatibility in vehicle designs would often inhibit introduction of innovations and potential safety improvements within an existing light rail transit system. However, there are ongoing efforts to address each of these challenges. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has a committee working on the development of a new safety standard for light rail vehicles. Light rail vehicle manufacturers are increasingly using modern crashworthiness design principles. In addition, modern crash analysis methodologies allow for the assessment of vehicle incompatibilities in the design process. In this paper, the developments of crash energy management strategies in the light rail industry are discussed. These include the ongoing standards development efforts and the application of crash energy management principles in recent light rail vehicle design efforts. Examples will be provided for the use of crash analyses in a vehicle design. The interaction of the crash and static analyses will be discussed and examples of both compatible and incompatible collision scenarios will be presented.

Phoenix Light Rail Vehicle Front End Design Review With Crash Energy Management Bumper

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P. Donohue
Keyword(s):  
Energy Management ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rail Vehicles ◽  
Front End ◽  
Traffic Intersections ◽  
Modern System ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Street Traffic ◽  
New Generation

December 27, 2008 marked the grand opening of METRO Light Rail transit service linking the cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, Arizona. In Phoenix, this event harkened back to an era with similar streetcar service that ceased operations in 1948. After a 55 year absence, final design of the modern system commenced in 2003, and the acute need to address safety concerns with a new generation of valley residents began. This 20.4 mile (32.6 km) system contains 28 stations, runs on reserved rights of way, >95% in city streets, and contains over 149 street traffic intersections, highway ramps and slip-ramps. In an effort to lessen injuries and damage to the public, train crew and light rail equipment, the Agency’s consultant recommended several key changes to the typical North American light rail system design. Included was an unprecedented change to the front end of the light rail vehicles with an industry first, crash energy management (CEM) bumper. This report discusses the design and functionality of the Phoenix LRV front end and bumper from concept through revenue service.

Effects of Independently Rolling Wheels on Flange Climb Derailment

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Wilson ◽  
Xinggao Shu ◽  
Ken Kramp
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Modeling ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Technology Center ◽  
Rail Vehicles ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Wheel Profile ◽  
Profile Design ◽  
Flange Angle

The effects of independently rolling wheels (IRW) on flange climb derailment have been investigated through simulations using Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)’s *NUCARSTM dynamic modeling software. Simulations of single wheelsets and hypothetcal light rail vehicles equipped with IRWs show that flange angle and flange length parameters play an important role in preventing derailments. That role is especially critical for independent rolling wheels due to their lack of self-steering capability. The speed contour concept was proposed for engineers to adopt the flange angle and flange length in a logical way for wheel profile design in new vehicles and wheel profile maintenance. It is also shown that the sensitivity of IRW to flange climb is also very dependent on particular vehicle designs.

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