Title: Application of NFPA 130 to Low-Floor Vehicles
Abstract: The advent of modern-era low-floor vehicles represented a paradigm shift in light rail vehicle design, providing a fundamentally new approach to passenger accessibility and ease of use. This paper, from the 2014 Rail Conference, considers the importance of fire safety for low-floor vehicles. The authors describe three significant differences that characterize low-floor vehicles compared to their high-floor predecessors. Virtually all of the electrical power equipment is located on the vehicle roof instead of under the floor. Other than the running gear (primarily traction motors and gearboxes), couplers and a few ancillary devices, there is almost no electrical equipment under the vehicle floor. Further, the almost universal use of AC traction motors (which have no brushes or commutators to flash over) and roller bearings, has virtually eliminated any source of excessive heat or flame which might potentially lead to a fire under the vehicle. Second, significantly improved passenger access; large number of wide doors with easy emergency egress, lower floor height in the majority of the passenger compartment - 14 inches (355 mm) or less, enabling passengers to exit vehicles quickly and directly to track level without additional assistance if necessary in an emergency situation. And, third, in many cases, operation in tunnels or on elevated guideways is limited or non-existent. This is particularly true of streetcar systems. The authors focus on the U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 130 “Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems”. Developed in response to a need for standardizing fire life safety requirements (primarily for the subway operating environment which covered the largest number of rail vehicles then in use in the U.S.), NFPA 130 has been routinely updated every four years since the 1983 edition, with the latest edition published in August 2013 (NFPA 130, 2014 Edition). The use of NFPA 130 offers a comprehensive approach to fire life safety for transit and rail passenger operations covering stations, trainways, tunnel ventilation, vehicles, emergency procedures and communications. The authors conclude that a number of possible strategies could be employed to better correlate NFPA-130 with the streetcar operating environment. In all cases, the time required to stop the car and evacuate the passengers would still be a fundamental basis.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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