Manufacturing line/Rail systems/Tank car
Autonomous · Rail systems

Tank car

30,600 gallons in a sealed, jacketed shell that reports its pressure, temperature and level every second.

Phase 6 · 2033+Concept design
Capacity
30,600 gal
Gross rail load
130 t
Tare
39 t
Top speed
80 km / h loaded
I · Blueprint
Side elevation, live systems
SIDE ELEVATION · 30,600 GAL TANK CAR, LOADED01020304LADING LEVEL · 97% FILL MAX05060708091011121314151617181918.24 m (59 ft 10 in) over couplers · 130 t gross rail load4.72 mTruck centres 14.0 m · 4 axles at 32.4 tSECTION B–B · MID-TANK, LOOKING AFTPressure-relief valveRadar level gaugeLading — 97% fill maxJacket — 3 mm steelCeramic blanket — 13 mmShell — TC-128B, 14.3 mmHeating channelsBottom outlet3.25 mDETAIL C · TOP FITTINGS, ROLLOVER HOUSINGHousing — rated for rolloverPressure-relief valve — 5.2 barLoading valve — 48 V actuatorVapour valve — 48 V actuatorGas detectorTransducers × 2Radar gauge — ±2 mmShell and jacket — 14.3 mm + 13 mm + 3 mmDETAIL D · BOTTOM OUTLET, INTERLOCKEDBall valve — 100 mm boreActuator — 48 V, 200 W, 250 N·mSkid — shears clear in a derailmentOutlet cap — position sensedRack connector — 480 V, groundOpens only when the car is stopped, braked,connected to the rack and grounded.
01Tank shell — TC-128B steel, 14.3 mmStructure
02Jacket & ceramic blanketStructure
03Head shields — 13 mm, full heightStructure
04Stub sills & couplersStructure
05Top-fittings housing — rollover-ratedLading
06Pressure-relief valve — mechanical, 5.2 barLading
07Loading & vapour valves — motorisedLading
08Radar level gauge — ±2 mmLading
09Bottom outlet — motorised, interlockedLading
10Heating coils — 150 kW at the rackLading
11Lading — 115.8 m³, 97% fill maxLading
12Axle-end generators — 2 × 300 WPower
13Power pack — 2.4 kWh LFP, 48 VPower
14Rack connector — 480 V and groundPower
15ECP trainline — 230 V DC and dataPower
16Car nodes, ECP valve & reservoirBrakes
17Pressure & temperature sensors — 2 + 4Brakes
18Derailment detectors — each bolsterBrakes
19Trucks — 4 axles, truck-mounted brakesBrakes
II · Power & drivetrain

Valves that open only where they should.

The car powers its own valves, sensors and brakes from axle generators and a 48 V battery. Heating takes 150 kW from the unloading rack, never from the car. Every valve is motorised and interlocked; the pressure-relief valve stays mechanical.

Valves, heating & power — rotating view
A slice of the tank. On top, the rollover housing with the pressure-relief valve, the two motorised valves and the radar level gauge. Below, the heating coils and the bottom outlet, its ball turning a quarter turn to open. At right, the power pack and the two car nodes.
01Tank shell & jacket — 3.25 m over the jacket
02Rollover housing — top fittings
03Pressure-relief valve — mechanical, 5.2 bar
04Loading & vapour valves — 48 V actuators
05Radar level gauge — reads the lading surface
06Bottom outlet — 100 mm ball valve, 90° in 8 s
07Heating coils — 150 kW, rack power only
08Power pack & car nodes — 2.4 kWh, 2 × 12 W
Motorised ball valve
Bore100 mm (4 in)
Actuator48 V, 200 W
Stroke90° in 8 s
Torque250 N·m
InterlockStopped, braked, rack, ground
OverrideManual, inside the skid
Naked system — power, valves and brakes
Wheelsets · 965 mmAxle-end generator300 W · 660 rpm at 120 km/hRectifier & chargerto 48 V DCECP TRAINLINE · 230 V DC POWER AND DATA, CAR TO CARDC/DC 230 → 48 V10 W per car48 V DC CAR BUSBattery · 2.4 kWh LFPparked 33 days at 3 WCar nodes A & B2 × 12 W, certifiedSensorspressure · temp · level · gasValve actuators3 × 200 W, 48 VGNSS & modem3 WBrake channelSIL 3 on the nodesbrake command from the locomotiveECP brake valvepressure loop 1 kHzBRAKE PIPE · 6.2 BAR AIRReservoir0.1 m³ at 6.2 barBrake cylindertruck-mountedShoe on every wheelRack connector · 480 V, 3-phase180 A · ground provenHeating coils · 150 kWat the rack onlyground
III · How it is put together

Shell, jacket, trucks, fittings, test.

The shell is rolled, welded, stress-relieved and pressure-tested before the blanket and jacket go on. Stub sills and trucks follow, then the fittings, valves, power and sensor kit. The loop replays the build order.

I
Shell rolled, welded and stress-relieved
II
Hydro-tested, blanket and jacket fitted
III
Stub sills, head shields and trucks
IV
Fittings, valves, power pack and nodes
V
Leak-tested, weighed, certified
IV · Specification

Design specification.

Design targets for the autonomous tank car.

Capacity
30,600 gal (115.8 m³)
Gross rail load
130 t (286,000 lb)
Tare
39 t
Load limit
91 t
Length
18.24 m over couplers
Tank diameter
3.25 m over jacket, 3.19 m inside
Shell
TC-128B steel, 14.3 mm
Test pressure
6.9 bar
Relief valve
5.2 bar, mechanical
Heating
150 kW at the rack
Axle load
32.4 t · 4 axles
Top speed
80 km / h loaded
Brakes
ECP on every car
Car power
2 × 300 W + 2.4 kWh
Valves
3 motorised, interlocked
Metal content
≈ 96%
Onboard compute
Two certified nodes watch the lading and hold the valves shut
Modules2 car nodes — certified safety controllers, one at each end. No AI module on the car
CPU8 lockstep cores (2 × 4)
AI throughput80 TOPS total (2 × 40) — lading, bearing, wheel and leak models
Memory2 × 8 GB with error correction at 50 GB/s; 256 GB flash, 90-day car record
Power draw24 W compute; ≈ 40 W running with sensors and modem; 3 W parked
Process nodeMature 16 nm node, 15-year supply. Nodes are line-replaceable, swapped at mid-life
RedundancyEvery sensor is wired to both nodes. Node A is primary for the A end and the fittings, node B for the B end and the bottom outlet; each is hot standby for the other. Loss of both nodes or of the trainline applies the brakes and leaves every valve shut.
Sensors2 pressure transducers, 4 temperature sensors, radar level gauge, gas detector, 1 fittings camera on automotive Ethernet, 8 bearing sensors, 4 wheel-impact sensors, GNSS
Safety sensorsThe valve and brake channel reads its own: valve limit switches, 2 axle-speed sensors, hand-brake switch, rack-ground detector, brake pressure transducers, derailment accelerometers
LinkECP trainline to the locomotive, relayed car to car; cellular and satellite modem when parked
Commands reach the valves and brakes only through the certified channel. A valve opens only when two axle-speed sensors read zero, the hand brake is set, the rack connector is in and the ground is proven. A derailment signature vents the brake pipe within 0.1 s. The actuator drivers close their current loops at 1 kHz. A software fault can never drive the tank car outside its certified safe envelope.
Today vs IC
Safety and systems: today’s flammable-liquid tank car beside the IC design
Today · 30,600 gal flammable-liquid tank carIC design
Size and load30,600 gal; 286,000 lb gross rail load; 59 ft 10 in longSame: 30,600 gal, 130 t (286,000 lb), 18.24 m
Tare90,100 lb (40.9 t)39 t (86,000 lb): lighter trucks and fittings
ShellTC-128B steel ≥ 9/16 in, jacket, ceramic blanket, ½ in full-height head shieldsSame shell, jacket, blanket and head shields
ValvesManual top fittings; bottom outlet with a handle designed not to open in a derailmentMotorised top valves and bottom outlet, interlocked: stopped, braked, rack connected, grounded
Monitoring1–5 W for pressure, temperature, valve position and GPS where fittedPressure, temperature, level and gas every second; derailment detection vents the brake pipe
Speed50 mph (80 km/h) limit on high-hazard flammable trains80 km/h loaded
The IC column is the design shown on this page. Sources for the Today column are listed in BUILD_NOTES.md.
Runs on The Brain
Every tank reports to The Brain: pressure, temperature and level, from the loading rack to the unloading rack.
See how it works →
Continue
Autorack →← Double-stack well car