Diatom-inspired Plastic Deformation Elements for Energy Absorption in Automobiles

Abstract

We report on a biomimetic approach for the construction of a deformation element in vehicles which absorbs energy in the case of lateral collisions. We aim at simultaneously maximising the energy absorption capacity of the component and minimising its weight. The examined deformation element, a crash-pad is inspired by the structure of a diatom which is known for its structural stability. As the natural counterpart, our crash pad is characterized by an undulated shape. The three undulations of the crash pad are of different height and provide for a sequential absorption of the impact energy. Compression tests were performed on the prototypes of the crash pad that were produced from different materials, namely a conventional talc reinforced polypropylene and a natural fibre reinforced plastic. Compression tests revealed that the bioinspired crash pads performed better or equal than their technical counterpart. As required, the bioinspired components deformed continuously with the increase in deformation force. Since the differences in the properties of the used materials were small, the increased energy absorption properties were predominantly due to the structure of the biomimetic deformation element.