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. 2025 Apr 16;15(1):13189.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-97152-7.

Freight wagon body design with increased load capacity

Maryna Bulakh  1
Affiliations

Freight wagon body design with increased load capacity

Maryna Bulakh. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Increasing the load capacity of freight wagon bodies is a key issue aimed at improving the energy efficiency and competitiveness of rail transport. This study presents for the first time a design for a freight wagon body with increased load capacity and proposes new changes to the design of the freight wagon floor. To verify the proposed solution, CAD models of the freight wagon floor with thicknesses ranging from 3 to 6 mm were developed, and calculations were performed for von Mises stresses, resultant displacements, equivalent strains, and safety factors for each model. The factor of safety of the freight wagon floor structure has been increased by 5.2 times. The results indicated that the load capacity of the freight wagon with the modified floor increased by 1.6% to 2.7%, depending on the thickness, compared to the baseline floor construction with a thickness of 7 mm. In addition to effectively increasing the freight wagon's load, the proposed modifications maintain structural integrity and address mass considerations. Furthermore, these changes allow for the use of standard carbon steel, which provides additional economic benefits. The study confirms that the use of thinner materials in the floor construction can significantly enhance the overall performance of the freight wagon and operational efficiency in rail transport.

Keywords: Deformations; Design; Displacements; Freight wagon body; Load capacity; Stresses.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A graphical representation of the research methodology in the form of a flow chart.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cross section of the existing FWB design: 1—side wall; 2—extreme supporting beam; 3—intermediate supporting beam; 4—spinal beam; 5—floor; 6—end wall; 7—supporting transverse beam.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Results of the calculations for the FWB floor with a thickness of 7 mm: (a) Model; (b) Von Mises stress; (c) Resultant displacement; (d) Equivalent strain.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Model of the FWB.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Proposed design of the FWB: 1—side wall; 2—extreme supporting beam; 3—intermediate supporting beam; 4—spinal beam; 5—MF; 6—end wall.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Results of the calculations for the proposed FWB floor design (thickness 6 mm and L/h = 15.0): (a) Model; (b) Von Mises stress; (c) Resultant displacement; (d) Equivalent strain.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Results of the calculations for the proposed FWB floor design (thickness 5 mm and L/h = 15.0): (a) Von Mises stress; (b) Resultant displacement; (c) Equivalent strain; (d) Factor of safety.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Results of the calculations for the proposed FWB floor design (thickness 5 mm and L/h = 9.0): (a) Von Mises stress; (b) Resultant displacement; (c) Equivalent strain; (d) Factor of safety.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Results of the calculations for the proposed FWB floor design (thickness 5 mm and L/h = 5.0): (a) Von Mises stress; (b) Resultant displacement; (c) Equivalent strain; (d) Factor of safety.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Results of the calculations for the proposed FWB floor design (thickness 4 mm and L/h = 15.0): (a) Von Mises stress; (b) Resultant displacement; (c) Equivalent strain; (d) Factor of safety.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Results of the calculations for the proposed FWB floor design (thickness 3 mm and L/h = 15.0): (a) Von Mises stress; (b) Resultant displacement; (c) Equivalent strain; (d) Factor of safety.
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