GB2550852B

GB2550852B - Rail vehicle provided with a blast-resistant partition wall

Info

Publication number: GB2550852B
Application number: GB1609121.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Morgan Jerry
Original assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
Current assignee: Alstom Transportation Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2016-05-24
Filing date: 2016-05-24
Publication date: 2019-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2036-05-24
Also published as: EP3464012B1; WO2017202792A1; GB2550852A; GB201609121D0; EP3464012A1

Description

RAIL VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH A BLAST-RESISTANT PARTITION WALL

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail vehicle provided with a blast-resistant partition wall.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Rail vehicles provided with a driver's cabin and a passenger compartmentusually include a partition between the driver's cabin and the passengercompartment, which provides a secure fire barrier, and includes a door for access tothe passenger compartment from the driver's cabin and vice-versa, and a means ofegress from the driver's cabin in an emergency.

[0003] Additional requirements have emerged to take into account terroristattacks, which are not fulfilled by the conventional designs. It is of particularimportance to counteract attempts to disable the driver, whose actions during aterrorist attack are essential to limit the extent of the attack, safeguard thepassengers and initiate the rescue operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention aims to provide an improved design for a rail vehiclecomprising a driver's cabin and a passenger compartment, which will preventassailants from disabling the driver.

[0005] According to the invention, there is provided a rail vehicle comprising acar body structure, a driver's cabin, a passenger compartment, and driver's cabinback wall partition separating the driver's cabin from the passenger compartment,wherein the driver's cabin back wall partition comprises partition panels made froma blast-resistant, missile-resistant and fire-resistant composite material.

[0006] The driver's cabin back wall partition further comprises a frameworkcomprising a floor section, two body side vertical sections and a roof section, directlyfastened to the car body structure, and the partition panels are directly secured to the framework. The framework provides a robust structure that will transfer blastpressure loads on the partition panels to the car body structure.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment, the composite material of thepartition panels comprises a sandwich assembly, preferably an autoclaved sandwichassembly, comprising a core material between a stainless steel plate on a passengercompartment side and a driver's cabin side plate made of stainless steel, fibreglassplate or carbon fibre on a driver's cabin side. The core material of the compositematerial of the partition panels may comprise vermiculite. The driver's cabin sideplate may comprise S2-glass fibres. The vermiculite core provides the fire barrier, theS2 glass provides the penetration resistance and the strength afforded by theautoclaved sandwich construction provides inherent blast resistance.

[0008] Preferably, the driver's cabin back wall partition further comprises one ormore trim panels covering the partition panels and facing the passengercompartment, the trim panels being preferably made of aluminium. The trim panels,apart from their aesthetic function, contribute to the overall penetration resistance.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment, the framework further comprises adoorway frame directly secured to the roof section of the framework at a top end andto the floor section of the framework and/or to the car body structure at a lower end,the driver's cabin back wall partition further comprising an access door fitted into thedoorway frame. The doorway frame comprises at least two vertical edges. It ispreferably a U-shaped or rectangular structure with a top edge and/or a bottom edgejoining the two vertical edges. Preferably, the access door comprises a door panelmanufactured from a blast-resistant, missile-resistant, fire-resistant compositematerial. The composite material of the door panel may comprise a sandwichassembly, preferably autoclaved, comprising a core material between a stainless steelplate on a passenger compartment side and a driver's cabin side plate made ofstainless steel, fibreglass or carbon fibres on a driver's cabin side. The core materialof the composite material of the door panel may comprise vermiculite. The driver'scabin side plate of the composite material of the door panel may comprise S2-glassfibres.

[0010] Preferably, the access door is hinged to the doorway frame so as to openinto the passenger compartment only. In a closed position, the access door bearsagainst the doorway frame along at least along two and preferably at least threeedges of the access door. This further contributes to the overall blast resistance of thedriver's cabin back wall partition.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the doorway frame is equidistant orsubstantially equidistant from the body side sections of the framework.

[0012] Advantageously, the door and doorway frame are provided with a key-operated lock with at least three, preferably at least four latches. The latches can belocated along the vertical edge of the door opposite the hinge and/or along thehorizontal upper edge of the door.

[0013] To further prevent the blast pressure pulse entering the cab, the railvehicle may further comprise a driver's cabin HVAC system connecting the driver'scabin to the outside of the rail vehicle without entering the passenger compartment.

[0014] According to one embodiment, at least one back wall cubicle is located inthe driver's cabin directly adjacent to the driver's cabin back wall partition. The backwall cubicle may have a back wall cubicle framework directly secured to the car bodystructure. Such cubicles provide additional structural support after the partition anddoor have deflected under blast load by a few millimetres.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0015] Other advantages and features of the invention will then become moreclearly apparent from the following description of a specific embodiment of theinvention given as non-restrictive examples only and represented in theaccompanying drawings in which: - figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a rail vehicle according to anembodiment of the invention, comprising a driver's cabin and apassenger compartment separated by a driver's cabin back wallpartition; - figure 2 illustrates a section of the vehicle showing the driver's cabinback wall partition viewed from the passenger compartment; - figure 3 illustrates a section of the vehicle showing the driver's cabinback wall partition viewed from the driver's cabin; - figure 4 illustrates the driver's cabin back wall partition viewed fromthe passenger compartment; - figure 5 illustrates the driver's cabin back wall partition viewed fromthe driver's cabin; - figure 6 illustrates a sandwich structure of a composite material of apartition panel of the driver's cabin back wall partition; - figure 7 illustrates a sandwich structure of a composite material of adoor panel of the driver's cabin back wall partition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] With reference to figure 1, a rail vehicle 10 comprises a car body 12divided into a driver's cab 14 and one or more passenger compartments 16 by adriver's cabin back wall partition 18.

[0017] As illustrated in figures 2 and 3, the car body 12 has a car body structure20, which comprises a floor section 22, two body side sections 24 and a roof section26, and consists of structural members such as longitudinal lower girders 28 andfloor planks 30 in a floor section 22, external side wall planks 32 and upper cant rails34 in the two body side sections 24 and roof planks 36, 38 joined to the external sidewall panels 34 by the cant rails 32 in the roof section 26. The roof section 26 is raisedin the driver's cabin 14 compared to the passenger compartment 16, and comprises avertical diaphragm 40 joining the somewhat higher roof planks 36 of the driver'scabin 14 to the lower roof planks 38 of the passenger compartment 16. Thestructural members 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 are preferably made of aluminium andare permanently fastened together by any appropriate means, e.g. by welding or withrivets.

[0018] The driver's cabin back wall partition 18 is illustrated in more details infigures 4 and 5 and comprises a framework 42, which is directly secured to the carbody structure 20, e.g. with rivets or preferably with removable fasteners such as M8bolts. The framework 42 comprises of a floor section 44, two body side verticalsections 46 and a roof section 48. The floor section 44 consists of left and right handfloor channels 50 manufactured from aluminium extrusions, which follow the profileof the floor planks 30 and are fastened directly to the floor planks 30. The two bodyside vertical sections 46 consist of left and right hand body side channels 52manufactured from aluminium extrusions, which follow the profile of the externalside wall planks 32 and are fastened directly to the external side wall planks 32. Theroof section 48 comprises a two-piece diaphragm top beam 54 made from aluminiumextrusions, which extends from one upper cant rail 34 to the other and is secureddirectly to the upper cant rails 34 and to the diaphragm 40.

[0019] The framework 42 further comprises a one-piece doorway frame 56,which is an aluminium construction comprising at least two parallel vertical edges 58joint at the top by a horizontal top edge 60 and at the bottom by a horizontal bottomedge 62. The top edge 60 is directly fastened to the diaphragm top beam 54 while thebottom edge 62 is directly secured to one of the floor planks 30.

[0020] Left and right partition panels 64 close the driver's cabin back wallpartition 18 on each side of the doorway. The partition panels 64 slide and locate intothe channel sections of the body side channels 52 and floor channels 50 of theframework and are further supported by the diaphragm top beam 54 and by thevertical edges 58 of the doorway frame 56.

[0021] The partition panels 64 are made from a blast-resistant, missile-resistantand fire-resistant composite material 66, illustrated in figure 6 and directly securedto the framework 42. The composite material 66 of the partition panels 64 is anautoclaved sandwich construction comprising a 20 mm vermiculite core 68, with0.8mm stainless steel plate 70 on the saloon side and 3 mm of S2 glass 72 on thedriver's cabin side. The vermiculite core 68 provides a fire barrier, the S2 glassprovides penetration resistance and the strength afforded by the autoclavedsandwich construction provides inherent blast resistance.

[0022] As illustrated in figure 5, the partition panels 64 can be covered by 3 mmaluminium trim panels 74 facing the passenger compartment 16. On the passengercompartment side, an emergency ladder stowage compartment 76 can be provided.These elements, however, only slightly improve the penetration resistance.

[0023] The driver's cabin back wall partition 18 further comprises an access door78 fitted into the doorway frame 56. The access door 78 comprises a door panel 80manufactured from a blast-resistant, missile-resistant, fire-resistant compositematerial 82. The composite material 82 of the door panel is very similar to thecomposite material 66 of the partition panels 64 and consists of an autoclavedsandwich construction comprising a 20 mm vermiculite core 84, with a 0.8mmstainless steel plate 86 on the passenger compartment side and 5 mm of S2 glass 88on the driver's cabin side (see figure 7). In order to provide the necessary penetrationprotection, the door panel 80 requires 2 mm more S2 glass material than thepartition panels 64, because the access door 78 does not benefit from an aluminiumtrim panel.

[0024] The access door 78 may comprise a metallic rectangular door frame and ishinged to one of the vertical edges 58 of the doorway frame 56 so as to open into thepassenger compartment 16 only. In the closed position, the access door 78 bearsagainst the doorway frame 56 at least along the vertical edges 58 and the top edge 60of the doorway frame 56. As an option, the bottom edge 62 may be provided with astep on which the bottom edge of the access door 78 bears in the closed position toprovide further structural support. However, consideration should be given topotential tripping hazard issues for train personal going through the doorway.

[0025] The access door 78 and doorway frame 56 are provided with a key-operated lock with at least three, preferably at least four latches.

[0026] One or more back wall cubicles 80 are located in the driver's cabin 14directly adjacent to the back wall partition 16. Each back wall cubicle 80 has a backwall cubicle framework 82 directly secured to the car body structure 20.

[0027] The rail vehicle comprises a driver's cabin HVAC system with and HVACducting 84 that connects the driver's cabin to the outside of the rail vehicle withoutentering the passenger compartment 16.

[0028] The overall design of the driver's cabin back wall partition 18 provides asecure barrier against penetration due to explosion or terrorist act in the adjoiningpassenger compartment 16, which might disable the driver, and more specificallyagainst penetration due to blast pressures and missiles (bullets).

[0029] In a blast situation, the blast pressure loads will be reacted by thecompression of the partition panels 64 and access door panel 80 onto the driver'scabin back wall partition framework 42 and into the car body structure 20.Additional support is provided by the back wall cubicles 82 after the partition anddoor panels have deflected under blast load by a few millimetres.

[0030] The relocation of the driver's cabin ducting 84 completely outside thepassenger compartment 16 further prevents the blast pressure pulse from enteringthe driver's cabin 14.

[0031] The autoclaved sandwich materials 66, 82 selected for the partition anddoor panels 64, 80 provide a good missile penetration resistance withoutcompromising the fire performance.

Claims

1. A rail vehicle (10) comprising a car body structure (20), a driver's cabin (14), apassenger compartment (16), and driver's cabin back wall partition (18)separating the driver's cabin (14) from the passenger compartment (18),characterised in that the driver's cabin back wall partition (18) comprisespartition panels (64) made from a blast-resistant, missile-resistant and fire-resistant composite material (66) wherein the driver's cabin back wall partition(18) further comprises a framework (42) comprising a floor section (44), twobody side vertical sections (46) and a roof section (48), directly fastened to thecar body structure (20), and the partition panels (64) are directly secured to theframework (42).

2. The rail vehicle of claim 1, wherein the composite material (66) of the partitionpanels (64) comprises a sandwich assembly, comprising a core material (68)between a stainless steel plate (70) on a passenger compartment side and adriver's cabin side plate (72) made of stainless steel, fibreglass plate or carbonfibre on a driver's cabin side.

3. The rail vehicle of claim 2, wherein the sandwich assembly is an autoclavedsandwich assembly.

4. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the core material (68) of thecomposite material (66) of the partition panels (64) comprises vermiculite.

5. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the driver's cabin side plate(72) comprises S2-glass fibres.

6. The rail vehicle of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the driver's cabinback wall partition (18) further comprises one or more trim panels (74)covering the partition panels (64) and facing the passenger compartment (16).

7. The rail vehicle of claim 6, wherein the trim panels (74) are made of aluminium.

8. The rail vehicle of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frameworkfurther comprises a doorway frame (56) directly secured to the roof section(48) of the framework (42) at a top end and to the floor section (44) of theframework (42) and/or to the car body structure (20) at a lower end, thedriver's cabin back wall partition (18) further comprising an access door (78)fitted into the doorway frame (56).

9. The rail vehicle of claim 8, wherein the access door comprises a door panel (80)manufactured from a blast-resistant, missile-resistant, fire-resistant compositematerial (82).

10. The rail vehicle of any one of claim 9, wherein the composite material (82) ofthe door panel (80) comprises a sandwich assembly, comprising a core material(84) between a stainless steel plate (88) on a passenger compartment side and adriver's cabin side plate (86) made of stainless steel, fibreglass or carbon fibreson a driver's cabin side.

11. The rail vehicle of claim 10, wherein the sandwich assembly is autoclaved.

12. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein the core material (84) ofthe composite material (82) of the door panel (80) comprises vermiculite.

13. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the driver's cabin sideplate (86) of the composite material (82) of the door panel (80) comprises S2-glass fibres.

14. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the access door (78) ishinged to the doorway frame (56) so as to open into the passengercompartment (16) only, and, in a closed position, bears against the doorwayframe (56) along at least along two edges of the access door (78).

15. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the access door (78) ishinged to the doorway frame (56) so as to open into the passengercompartment (16) only, and, in a closed position, bears against the doorwayframe (56) along at least along three edges of the access door (78)

16. The rail vehicle of any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein the doorway frame (56) isequidistant or substantially equidistant from the body side sections (46) of theframework (42).

17. The rail vehicle of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a driver'scabin HVAC system connecting the driver's cabin (14) to the outside of the railvehicle (10) without entering the passenger compartment (16).

18. The rail vehicle of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at leastone back wall cubicle (80) located in the driver's cabin (14) directly adjacent tothe driver's cabin back wall partition (18), the back wall cubicle (80) having aback wall cubicle framework (82) directly secured to the car body structure(20).