Structural Analysis of a Freight Wagon with Composite Walls

Abstract

The paper presents a numerical study regarding the mechanical response of the body of a freight wagon to the usual loads encountered during service. The main goal of the present research is to investigate the possibility to replace the steel walls of the wagon with walls made of laminated composites. In this way, the total mass of the wagon can be decreased, leaving room for supplementary load of goods. Finite element analyses of the wagon with steel walls is presented first, in order to show that most of the load is taken by the structure of the wagon, while the stresses in the walls are low. Further, composite plates with different thickness are studied to find the minimum value of thickness for which the displacements have values below a certain range. These thicknesses are further considered in the finite element analyses of the entire wagon with composite walls to investigate if the new walls significantly change the stresses in the vehicle structure. It was concluded that the replacement does not alter the stress state in the structure, and, consequently, it is a good solution for diminution of the total mass of the vehicle.