TRANSPORTATION tanks Composite tank container for multimodal transportation systems Dr anDrey uShakoV, General Director Apatech - Applied Advanced Technology Company T he PCM tank consists of a laminated shell made of ECR-glass and a chemically-resistant resin. The main processes used to produce the tank are filament winding and vacuum infusion. The tank container with PCM tank is shown in Figure 1. Main advantages The use of composite materials for a tank container structure as part of this project will solve a range of major social and economic issues: 20-25% reduced tank weight compared with a metal analogue; operating life of the PCM tank extended up to 15 years; extended in-service interrepair maintenance periods; reduced operating costs; improved environmental friendliness (the production of composites emits significantly less hazardous substances into the environment than metal production); significant expansion of the field and volume of application of polymer composite materials and innovative technologies. A tank container with a PCM (polymer composite material) tank was designed for multimodal container shipping of aggressive substances, chemical and petrochemical products by rail, car and sea transport. Works have been initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and custom-made by Joint Stock Company "Research and Production Corporation "Uralvagonzavod". - choice of production technology; - choice of a chemically-resistant composite material - a polymer matrix and a reinforcing filler; - creation of the finite element model and strength analysis; - development of testing programmes and procedures for the materials: performance test, including structural specimens and elements of the structure; - production of a PCM tank prototype; - development of testing programmes and procedures, which currently are not regu lated by international standards; - development of testing programmes and procedures for the tank container with PCM tank in accordance with the ADR Development phase The PCM container was created with the following R&D stages: - development of a structural design for the PCM tank; 46 Fig. 1: Tank container with PCM tank 1 Tank container barrel 2 Small valve compartment 3 Larger valve compartment 4 End frame 5 Support ring 6 Lower longitudinal beam jec composites magazine / No107 August - September 2016 requirements (European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road); - static and dynamic hydraulic testing of the tank container prototype; - certification of the tank container with PCM tank. The work was conducted by the ApATeCh group of companies (Russia) in partnership with Admor Composites Oy (Finland) and Lightweight Structures BV (Netherlands). Figures 2 and 3 show the tank container with PCM tank at the Fifth Jubilee International Fair of Railway Equipment and Technology EXPO 1520 (2-5 September, 2015, Moscow). 7 Centre longitudinal beam 8 Diagonal braces of longitudinal beams 9 Lower strut 10 Diagonal brace of end frame 11 Lower support 12 Upper longitudinal beam 13 Upper cross beam