Design Evaluation & Improvement Analysis of Vehicle Structural Crashworthiness using CAE in IIHS Frontal Crash Test

Abstract

Present day advancement in numerical solutions and advanced computational power has given a new dimension to the design and development of new products. Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) is widely used in the automotive community to reduce testing, prototype building, and design improvement in the design cycle. Design modifications were aimed to get controlled energy absorption, stable passenger compartment with aim of reduced intrusions and occupant safety.In the course of developing a passenger vehicle, automotive manufacturers must take into account numerous regulatory and corporate requirements. One of the most important such requirement is Frontal offset deformable barrier test. In this test condition, the vehicle traveling in the forward direction, impacts a deformable barrier that is offset to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The barrier face is perpendicular to the direction of travel and overlaps 40% of the front of the vehicle. The scope of this project is to evaluate the performance of a sedan passenger car and to further improve its crashworthiness during an offset frontal impact event. It is demonstrated that utilization of the complete passenger compartment stiffness, continuity in the load carrying members and extending these members until rear of the passenger compartment significantly reduces intrusions during offset frontal impact.