Railroad car with countermeasure structures that minimize the likelihood of deflagration and detonation hazards from gaseous hydrogen fuel storage and supply components thereof

Abstract

Railroad cars with countermeasure structures that minimize the likelihood of deflagration and detonation hazards in gaseous hydrogen fuel storage and supply component in one or more of the compartments of such railroad cars.

1 . A railroad car that functions as a fuel tender, the railroad car comprising:
 a compartment partially defined by spaced-apart cylinder assemblies, each cylinder assembly including a plurality of cylinders; and   a plurality of different countermeasure structures in the compartment, wherein the different countermeasure structures occupy at a percentage that is part of the cubic volume of empty space in the compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment is partially defined by spaced-apart first and second cylinder holder racks of the cylinder assemblies, and wherein the plurality of countermeasure structures include a first wall filler countermeasure structure mated with the first cylinder holder rack and a second wall filler countermeasure structure mated with the second cylinder holder rack. 
     
     
         3 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment is partially defined by spaced-apart first and second cylinder holder racks of the cylinder assemblies, and wherein the plurality of countermeasure structures include a first wall filler countermeasure structure mated with the first cylinder holder rack, a second wall filler countermeasure structure mated with the second cylinder holder rack, and an inflatable dunnage bag positioned between the first wall filler countermeasure structure and the second wall filler countermeasure structure. 
     
     
         4 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein one of the countermeasure structures is inflatable and one of the countermeasure structures is not inflatable. 
     
     
         5 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein one of the countermeasure structures is inflatable, one of the countermeasure structures is not inflatable, and one of the countermeasure structures includes foam rubber cubes or spheres. 
     
     
         6 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein one of the countermeasure structures includes a plurality of space-apart compressible blocks. 
     
     
         7 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different countermeasure structures in the compartment are configured to result in a reduction of possible flame path length in deflagration to prevent or minimize detonation. 
     
     
         8 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the percentage is at least twenty percent. 
     
     
         9 . The railroad car of  claim 1 , wherein the percentage is equal to or above ninety percent. 
     
     
         10 . A railroad car that functions as a fuel tender, the railroad car comprising:
 a compartment partially defined by spaced-apart cylinder assemblies, each cylinder assembly including a plurality of cylinders; and   a plurality of different countermeasure structures in the compartment, wherein the different countermeasure structures include:
 a plurality of first countermeasure structures in the compartment, and 
 a second countermeasure structure in the compartment, wherein the first and second countermeasure structures are different countermeasure structures, wherein the plurality of different countermeasure structures occupy a percentage that is part of the cubic volume of empty space in the compartment. 
   
     
     
         11 . The railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of first countermeasure structures includes a backing wall and a plurality of filler blocks connected to and extending from the backing wall. 
     
     
         12 . The railroad car of  claim 11 , wherein the second countermeasure structure includes an inflatable dunnage bag. 
     
     
         13 . The railroad car of  claim 11 , wherein the second countermeasure structure includes an inflatable dunnage bag positioned between the plurality of first countermeasure structures. 
     
     
         14 . The railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the second countermeasure structure includes an inflatable dunnage bag. 
     
     
         15 . The railroad car of  claim 14 , which includes active air supplier for the inflatable dunnage bag, wherein the active air supplier is connected to an air supply of the railroad car. 
     
     
         16 . The railroad car of  claim 14 , wherein the first countermeasure structures each have a smooth inner surface engagable by the inflatable dunnage bag. 
     
     
         17 . The railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of different countermeasure structures in the compartment are configured to result in a reduction of possible flame path length in deflagration to prevent or minimize detonation. 
     
     
         18 . The railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the percentage is at least twenty percent. 
     
     
         19 . The railroad car of  claim 10 , wherein the percentage is equal to or above ninety percent. 
     
     
         20 . A railroad car that functions as a fuel tender, the railroad car comprising:
 a compartment partially defined by spaced-apart first and second cylinder holder racks;   a first wall filler countermeasure structure mated with the first cylinder holder rack; and   a second wall filler countermeasure structure mated with the second cylinder holder rack.   
     
     
         21 . The railroad car of  claim 20 , which includes an inflatable dunnage bag positioned between the first wall filler countermeasure structure and the second wall filler countermeasure structure. 
     
     
         22 . The railroad car of  claim 20 , wherein the first wall filler countermeasure structure has a smooth inner surface engagable by the inflatable dunnage bag, and the second wall filler countermeasure structure has a smooth inner surface engagable by the inflatable dunnage bag. 
     
     
         23 . The railroad car of  claim 20 , wherein the first wall filler countermeasure structure and the second wall filler countermeasure structure in the compartment are configured to result in a reduction of possible flame path length in deflagration to prevent or minimize detonation.