An investigation into the energy absorption characteristics of a four-spoke steering wheel armature subjected to impact loading

Abstract

This research focuses on the energy absorption abilities of a four-spoke aluminum steering wheel armature using finite element methods. Finite element model verification wav completed with experimental impact testing investigating impacts between a rigid plate and a four-spoke steering wheel. An acceptable correlation between the experimental testing observations and numerical simulation results was observed which suggests that information obtained from finite element simulations can be used to assess the energy absorbing abilities of the armature and of its regions during the impact. Information on the strain energy absorbed by the various regions of the armature can only be determined using numerical methods, experimental procedures can only provide information for the entire armature during the collision. To gain further insight into the energy absorption capabilities of different parts of the armature, highly detailed finite element models were developed and 25 numerical simulations were conducted under different impact conditions (investigating variations in the column angle and wheel angle). The simulations have shown that the steering wheel armature absorbs more energy under a high column angle and the rim region absorbs more energy compared with all other steering wheel regions. Those observations provide an understanding into the characteristics of energy management in crash situations for the steering wheel armature.