Full-Scale Shell Impact Test of a DOT-105J500W Tank Car Designed to Carry Liquid Carbon Dioxide

On March 6, 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored a full-scale shell impact test (Test 14) of a DOT-105J500W (DOT105) specification tank car at Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. The DOT-105 tank car was designed for service with refrigerated liquid carbon dioxide (liquid CO₂) and included different design features from other DOT-105 tank cars due to the cold temperature (-20°F) of the refrigerated commodity. The tank car featured 5 inches of foam thermal insulation around the tank and a full-length center sill instead of the typical stub sills due to thermal expansion of the tank during loading and unloading. The tank car had a volume of approximately 21,500 gallons. During the test, a ~297,000-lb ram car equipped with a 12x12-inch impactor struck the tank at its mid-height and longitudinal center. Researchers filled the tank car to approximately 95.2 percent by volume with water as a stand-in for refrigerated liquid CO₂. The remaining (i.e., outage) 4.8 percent volume contained a mixture of air and nitrogen. The outage was pressurized to 225 psig, typical of conditions in liquid CO₂ transportation. Researchers targeted a test speed of 16.0 ± 0.5 mph, intending to puncture the tank car. However, the impact did not result in puncture of the tank car. The measured impact speed was 15.5 mph. This speed and ram mass corresponds to 2.4 million ft-lb of impact kinetic energy. The peak force developed by the impact was approximately 1.8 million pounds, and the impactor indented the tank car to a depth of approximately 35 inches. The impactor rebounded at a speed of 8 mph after making contact with the tank car.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/full-scale-shell-impact-test-dot-105j500w-tank-car-designed-carry-liquid-carbon-dioxide
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/75504
• Summary URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/75583
• Publication Date: 2024-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 4p
• Serial:
  • Research Results
  • Issue Number: RR 24-07
  • Publisher: Federal Railroad Administration
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carbon dioxide; Crash tests; Heat insulating materials; Liquefied gases; Tank cars
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01924346
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 13 2024 7:13PM