Experimental Studies on the Strength of a Flatcar during Shunting Impacts

Abstract

The increasing demand for container transportation makes it necessary to equip the wagon fleet with appropriate flatcars in good technical condition. The study deals with the determination of the strength of the flatcar during shunting impacts using the finite element method. The flatcar model 13-401 modernized with fixed fittings for securing containers on the frame was used as a prototype. The authors determined the fields of the maximum equivalent stresses in the bearing structure of a flatcar. The strength calculation was made in SolidWorks Simulation. It was found that, during a shunting collision, the maximum equivalent stresses to the flatcar were about 418 MPa and they were concentrated in the fixed fittings. The strength was also studied using the method of electric strain gauging. The research included different impact speeds. The test results showed that the maximum difference between the stresses obtained theoretically and experimentally was 17.0%. The strength model of the flatcar was tested using the Fisher criterion. The study demonstrated that the damage to the bearing structure of the flatcar and containers could be reduced when applying an improved interaction diagram.