Abstract
ABSTRACTVery fast full vehicle simulations through the use of effective, but drastically simplified digital models is a topic of great interest to automotive manufacturers and research communities. A non-conventional modelling and simulation approach using the macro-element methodology, embedded in Visual Crash Studio (VCS), is assessed. Modelling practices for converting finite element models to macro-element models are developed and presented. A large number of automotive systems, ranging from components and sub-systems to full vehicle models, is investigated. Numerical results obtained from VCS and the finite element code LS-DYNA compared moderately in the majority of the cases. The accuracy and efficiency of the macro-element methodology for vehicle crashworthiness analysis as well as the necessity for model corrections are discussed. Through improved functionality and accuracy, the macro-element methodology could potentially enable engineers to evaluate multiple conceptual designs in shorter times and revolutionise the vehicle development phase.
Highlights
Vehicle crash safety regulations and tests are continuously evolving to resemble real-world crash circumstances and reduce fatalities and severe injuries
The cross correlation rating of CORA (CORAccr) was calculated for the time histories obtained from LS-DYNA and Visual Crash Studio (VCS) is presented as an objective measure of the results agreement
The results obtained from VCS and LS-DYNA in terms of bumper beam deformation along the global Xaxis and cross-section force (resultant force on super-beams (VCS) and finite elements (LSDYNA)) of the crush boxes are depicted in Figures 17(a) and 17(b)
Summary
Vehicle crash safety regulations and tests are continuously evolving to resemble real-world crash circumstances and reduce fatalities and severe injuries (e.g. new NHTSA roof strength regulation, IIHS small overlap frontal test). The most common modelling methodologies for crashworthiness vehicle design used across the virtual product development cycle can be split into four categories, namely, (1) lumped mass-spring (LMS) systems and equivalent mechanisms, (2) collapsible beams, (3) multi-body systems (with rigid and flexible bodies) and (4) finite element models (hybrid, reduced-order, submodels and detailed). To authors’ best knowledge, there is limited published work on full scale vehicle modelling and simulation for crashworthiness using the macro-element methodology and on numerical results comparison between macroelement and finite element models [20,30].
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