The Behavior of Square Crash Box in Various Cross-Section Subjected yy High-Velocity Impact

Abstract

The application of thin-walled tubes as energy-absorbing equipment has been recognized in various structural systems. The structure absorbs energy by converting kinetic energy to plastic deformation energy. This study will investigate the crash box with several square cross-section ratios about the ability to absorb impact energy.The specimens are made of thin aluminum tubes, 2 mm of thick, 150 mm of length, and the cross-section is a square with 50 mm x 50 mm of size. The size of the square cross-sections is varied by maintaining a fixed circumference. The steel impactor crash into the axial direction specimen by 80 m / s of velocity. The elastic deformation, plastic deformation, and the reaction force occurred due to the collision. The simulation is completed by ANSYS WORKBENCH based on the finite element method.The experiments obtained the maximum deformation, the reaction force, and plastic deformation energy. The square cross-section 50 mm × 50 mm (ratio = 1) the deformation is 49,442 mm. The greater the ratio, the greater the deformation occurs. The reaction force is also getting larger with a larger ratio. On the other hand, the energy absorbed from plastic deformation is getting smaller. It has been agreed that the cross-section ratio = 1 is the best performance of the impact energy absorption.