Finite Element Analysis of APTA Passenger Rail 8G Structural Seat Test

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored researchers at the Volpe Center to perform finite element analyses (FEA) of 8g dynamic crash tests with a commuter rail 2-passenger seat design and Hybrid-III family anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs). The simulations analyzed (1) residual (i.e., survival) space during the crash test, (2) compartmentalization during the crash test, and (3) egress space after the crash test in structural integrity seat tests with two 95th percentile male (H3-95M) ATDs impacting a row of seats and thereby reducing the residual and egress space for either a H3-95M ATD or a 5th percentile female (H3-5F) ATD in a wall seat. The researchers modified the forward-facing structural integrity test setups from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) seat standard (APTA PR-CS-S-016-99, Rev. 3) to consider the residual and egress space for an occupant (either a H3-95M or H3-5F) in an adjacent wall seat. The researchers conducted this study to (1) address part of the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendation R-19-015 on the compartmentalization of occupant sizes outside of the currently used range and (2) address questions from interior equipment manufacturers and test labs on the evaluation of egress space in the APTA seat standard. For the particular commuter rail 2-passenger seat design analyzed, the simulation results indicate that occupants in row-to-row seats have sufficient residual and egress space; however, occupants seated adjacent to open bay seats may not have sufficient residual space because the forward-facing H3-95M ATDs were not compartmentalized.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/finite-element-analysis-apta-passenger-rail-8g-structural-seat-test-0
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/67364
• Publication Date: 2023-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 4p
• Serial:
  • Research Results
  • Issue Number: RR 23-06
  • Publisher: Federal Railroad Administration
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash tests; Crashworthiness; Dummies; Finite element method; Passenger trains; Seats
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01883396
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: May 24 2023 4:39PM