A Crash Energy Management Design Approach for Light Rail Vehicles

This paper describes how the development of crashworthiness standards for light rail vehicles (LRVs) includes the consideration of a wide variety of crash scenarios, which also contains collisions between like LRVs, collisions between incompatible vehicles, and collisions with street running automobiles. Application of crash energy management (CEM) is broadened in this context as new approaches are needed to address the various collision scenarios within a safety standard. This paper outlines a specific approach the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Rail Transit Vehicle Standards Committee is considering to establish crashworthiness specifications for development of a light rail safety standard. Specific collisions scenarios are analyzed in order to assess the injury risk of current Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) designs and develop CEM strategies that mitigate injury risk in collisions. The approach depends on results from computer simulation modeling of vehicle collisions across a wide variety of vehicle designs, some with and some without contemporary CEM design additions. Preliminary simulation results are presented and applied to the specification of vehicle CEM and structural design requirements for crashworthiness performance.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1931594260
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Transportation Association

  1666 K Street, NW, Suite 1100
  Washington, DC  United States  20006
• Authors:
  • Schroeder, Martin P
  • Kirkpatrick, Steven W
  • Strong, Phil
• Conference:
  • 2007 Rail Conference
  • Location: Toronto , Canada
  • Date: 2007-6-3 to 2007-6-6
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 10p
• Monograph Title: 2007 Proceedings Rail Conference

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Light rail transit; Light rail vehicles; Railroad safety; Railroad traffic control; Railroad trains; Railroad transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crash energy management; Energy management systems; Train-to-train collisions; Train/motor vehicle collisions
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01051597
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1931594260
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 18 2007 1:44PM