Abstract
Based on a lumped-parameter model of the occupant-vehicle system, optimal kinematics of the occupant in frontal impact are investigated. It is found that for the minimization of the peak occupant deceleration, the optimal kinematics move the occupant at a constant deceleration. Based on this the optimal vehicle crash pulse is investigated. The optimal crash pulse for passive restraint systems is found to be: a positive impulse at the onset, an immediate plunge followed by a gradual rebound, and finally a positive level period. The relation of the peak occupant deceleration to the impact speed, crash deformation, and vehicle interior rattlespace is established. The optimal crash pulse for active and pre-acting restraint systems is discussed.
Highlights
Prevention and reduction of occupant injuries in automobile crashes is an essential goal in vehicle design
The common features of these optimal crash pulses can be abstracted as follows: a jump to a large positive value at the onset, an immediate plunge followed by a gradual rebound, and a positive level period for the rest of time
While the optimal occupant kinematics may be applicable to both scenarios, the optimal vehicle crash pulse obtained may not be fully suitable to the car-to-car impact because the scenario of frontal impact considered in this paper mainly pertains to the car-to-barrier impact
Summary
Prevention and reduction of occupant injuries in automobile crashes is an essential goal in vehicle design. The direct approach uses physical parameters of a vehicle structure as the design variables in the optimization process. As the objective function in optimization is to minimize certain injury criteria that in turn involve occupant responses, it is necessary to establish a direct relationship between these physical parameters and the occupant responses. This requires an efficient and accurate modeling and simulation of the problem, which, given the complexity of automobile structures and the interaction between the vehicle and the occupant, represents a great challenge. Z. Cheng et al / Optimal occupant kinematics and crash pulse for automobile frontal impact. The optimal vehicle crash pulse is investigated based on the optimal occupant kinematics
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