Experimental and finite element simulation investigation of axial crushing of grooved thin-walled tubes

Abstract

Application of impact energy absorption systems in different industries especially in automotive industries as a solution to minimize the effect of impact onto the travelers and increasing car safety is especially significant. In order to increase the car security in accidents and incidents of cars, several efforts have been done by corporations. For this purpose, different energy absorption systems have been utilized. From all of them, thin-walled tubes due to lightness, high value of energy absorption capacity, long crushing length, and high ratio of energy absorption into weight have ever-increasing application as one of the effective energy absorption systems. In this research, by carrying out experiments and finite element simulations, crushing manner, energy absorption value, mean crushing load, and initial buckling load of grooved thin-walled tubes with different geometric dimensions have been investigated and compared. Simulation of tested specimens has been executed in three-dimensional model by explicit method. Experimental and simulation results have a correlation. Results demonstrate that crushing manner and absorbed energy value in axial crushing of grooved thin-walled tubes could be controlled by introducing different groove distances.