MADYMO Simulations of Occupant and Vehicle Kinematics in Offset and Oblique Barrier Tests

Abstract

Oblique and offset impacts occur more frequently than full frontal impacts and the resulting occupant and vehicle kinematics are more complicated. Simulations of these test modes are more involved with added vehicle degrees of freedom. Additional occupant interactions with the vehicle interior need to be considered so that the occupant kinematics can be correlated more accurately. In order to capture the vehicle motion in an offset or oblique impact, a prescribed motion approach is preferred where the vehicle is given a three-dimensional motion with six degrees of freedom. With a planar motion assumption, the dominant angular motion about the vertical direction can be derived from linear accelerations measured at two locations where the vehicle deformation is a minimum. In a previous study the angular kinematics was given to a coordinate origin located on the vehicle centerline and longitudinally near the rear rocker. The instantaneous center of rotation was assumed to be fixed at this point during the event. This is referred to as Method I in this paper. A new approach, referred to as Method II, applied translational displacement to three bodies, which carried the passenger compartment through stiff spring elements. The displacements were integrated from measured accelerations, eliminating the uncertainty of a shifting center of rotation. Both methods assumed the vehicle frame between the front and rear rockers as a rigid body. The IP and steering column intrusions and floor deformations were neglected. The results from both methods were correlated to a pair of 40 kph 30 degree angle impact tests and an IIHS ODB test. Method II showed a slightly better timing correlation for the angle tests and the IIHS ODB test. However, both methods didn’t predict the lateral head contact for the driver in the left angle test and the passenger in the right angle test. More interior details have to be included in the model to capture the lateral motion of the occupants. The prescribed motion method is a more general approach than the commonly used inverse kinematics method, and can be applied to full frontal impact as well. The versatility of the method provides a basis for a modular approach in occupant simulations.