THE EFFECTS OF A FIRE ENVIRONMENT ON A RAIL TANK CAR FILLED WITH LPG

A 127 kiloliter (33,600 gallon) railroad tank car was instrumented and filled with liquefied petroleum gas. A large JP-4 fuel pool fire then engulfed the tank car, and measurements of temperature, pressure, etc., were recorded as a function of time. After 24.5 minutes, the car failed catastrophically via stress-rupture. Mass flow rates and a discharge coefficient have been obtained for the relief valve. An analytical expression has been derived and then used to obtain the heat flux to the wetted surface of the tank car. The rupturing of the car is briefly discussed.

• Record URL:
  • https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/42000/42500/42581/ord7531.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/effects-fire-environment-rail-tank-car-filled-lpg
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Ballistic Research Laboratory

  Aberdeen Proving Ground
  Aberdeen, MD  United States 

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Anderson, C
  • Townsend, W
  • Zook, J
  • Cowgill, G
• Publication Date: 1974-9

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 289 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Explosions; Field tests; Fire prevention; Fires; Hazardous materials; Heat flux; Liquefied petroleum gas; Mathematical models; Pressure relief valves; Railroad cars; Research; Safety; Stresses; Tank cars
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Bursting strength; Safety research; Tank car safety research and test project
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00091318
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-AR-30026
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 26 1976 12:00AM