Volpe Center Staff Receive Federal Laboratory Consortium Award

The Volpe Center team members from the Structures and Dynamics Division who received the award are pictured above: Ms. Michelle Priante, Ms. Karina Jacobsen, Dr. Benjamin Perlman, Mr. David Tyrell (team leader), Mr. Michael Carolan, Ms. Kristine Severson-Green, and Mr. Daniel Parent. Federal Railroad Administration team members are: Ms. Jo Strang, Mr. Grady Cothen, Mr. Eloy Martinez (formerly of the Volpe Center, also pictured above), Dr. Thomas Tsai, Mr. Gunars Spons, Mr. Charlie Bielitz, and Ms. Cindy Gross.

On May 17th the Volpe Center was presented with an Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer for the Development of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment for Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) at the FLC (Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer) annual meeting in Arlington, Texas. The award is presented by the Federal Laboratory Consortium to federal laboratories that have developed innovative technology and successfully transferred this technology to the public domain. The FLC is the nationwide network of over 200 federal laboratories that provides the forum to develop strategies and opportunities for linking laboratory mission technologies and expertise with the marketplace. This is the first time that a project from the Volpe Center has received this award and the first such award for the Department of Transportation in over a decade.

The “Crash Energy Management” design uses zones of controlled crush; collision energy is absorbed by a series of components and distributed to unoccupied areas of a train.

Since 1989, the Volpe Center has been performing in-depth studies to determine effective strategies for improved structural crashworthiness and occupant protection. Cab car-led passenger trains present a particularly challenging situation because the lead car traditionally bears the brunt of a crash. One solution that better preserves occupied spaces in the trains is Crash Energy Management (CEM). The CEM design uses zones of controlled crush; collision energy is absorbed by a series of components and distributed to unoccupied areas of the train rather than decimating the first car, as is characteristic of current equipment. A CEM Working Group was formed, including government engineers and participants from the rail industry, and a detailed technical specification was developed in just over four months. A full-scale crash test in Pueblo, Colorado, in March 2006 was pronounced “nearly perfect.” In May 2006, Metrolink, the Los Angeles commuter railroad, awarded a contract to Rotem, part of the Hyundai group of companies, to produce equipment incorporating the CEM technology. The Volpe Center continues to work with Metrolink to ensure that the supplier meets the requirements. New equipment with the CEM features is expected to be in service in 2009.