Critical comparisons of responses between side impact MDB and pole test modes

Abstract

This paper describes in detail the comparison of structural responses and their effect on occupant responses between the moving deformable barrier and oblique pole test modes, including the test protocol, dummies and injury metrics. The temporal sequence of events that takes place in each of these test modes are presented in light of the primary momentum exchanges and the underlying physics. Furthermore, the key factors that affect dummy responses in each of these test modes are identified and summarised. Additionally, a brief conceptual framework to understand overall vehicle and occupant dynamics is presented. Vehicle crash dynamics covers the analyses of vehicle effective mass, vehicle lateral stiffness and structural analysis using momentum and energy conservation, for design and development of vehicle structure and simulation of structural responses using sub-system test/CAE methodology. Occupant dynamics focuses on analysis of dummy's body regions including head, neck, thorax, pelvis and upper leg to develop countermeasures and better understand the effectiveness of side restraints such as airbags.