Lightweight, Cost-Effective, Energy-Efficient Pultruded composite Train Roof with Phase Change Material Core

KaZaK Composites, Inc. proposes to work with Oak Ridge National Labs and Bombardier Transportation to design and develop a lightweight, cost effective pultruded composite rail car roof. Including a novel Phase Change material core. The program goal will be the design of a composite sandwich panel replacement for the current welded aluminum roof structure of passenger rail cars. Composite designs will be optimized for manufacture by the pultrusion process, a completely automated technology for continuous production of constant cross section composite parts. Pultrusion is the only manufacturing approach that can compete with the baseline cost of the current aluminum structure in a production scenario. By working with Bombardier from the outset of the development program, a smooth transition to production is made much more likely. As an additional energy-saving feature, KaZaK will work to incorporate Phase Change Materials into the sandwich core of the pultruded panels. This PCM material will greatly reduce thermal transfer to the car interior during periods of peak solar loading, reducing air conditioning requirements considerably. Lower weight of the resulting rail car, derived from use of composites in combination with PCM cores, will result in lower energy use, reduced carbon footprint, and a greener rail transit system.