Composite Hat Structure Design for Vehicle Safety: Potential Application to B-Pillar and Door Intrusion Beam.

Samer Fakhri Abdulqadir,Faris Tarlochan

doi:10.3390/ma15031084

Abstract

Regarding crashworthiness, many published works have focused on designing thin-walled structures for frontal collisions compared to side-impact collisions. This paper presents an experimental investigation and finite element modelling of a carbon-reinforced thin-walled top-hat section subjected to quasi-static and dynamic transverse bending loads at different impact speeds. The top-hat sections and their closure assembly plates were made of MTM44 prepreg carbon. The specimens were manufactured by vacuum bagging. Dynamic work was performed to validate the results obtained from the finite element analysis (FEA). The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results. The study also showed that the peak load and energy absorption owing to dynamic loading were higher than those under static loading. In the four-point bend analysis, the stacking sequence affected the energy absorption capabilities by 15–30%. In addition, the distance between the indenters in the four-point analysis also affected the energy absorption by 10% for the same impact condition, where a larger distance promoted higher energy absorption. The study also demonstrated that a top-hat shaped thin-walled structure is suitable for deep intrusion beams in vehicle doors for side-impact crashworthiness applications.

Highlights

The reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the design constraints of automobile manufacturers [1]. These GHGs are linked to the fuel consumption of vehicles
Heavy vehicles typically consume more fuel and directly contribute to the amount of GHGs released into the environment [1]
Automotive manufacturers are motivated to make their vehicles lighter without compromising vehicle safety by looking at new materials besides the conventional steel used in vehicle chassis and bodies

Summary

Introduction

The reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the design constraints of automobile manufacturers [1]. These GHGs are linked to the fuel consumption of vehicles. Many initiatives have been undertaken globally to reduce GHG emissions from vehicles. One crucial aspect is ensuring that vehicle safety during collision is not compromised [3,4]. Automotive manufacturers are motivated to make their vehicles lighter without compromising vehicle safety by looking at new materials besides the conventional steel used in vehicle chassis and bodies.

Objectives

Methods

Results