Crashworthiness Study of Lightweight Aluminum
Automotive Structures
Project Schedule
The project is organized as a two year, phased effort:
- Phase I (Year I)
- Select an existing representative aluminum
intensive vehicle.
- Procure the selected vehicle.
- Develop a geometric representation of the
vehicle.
- Scan the vehicle geometry using
coordinate measurement devices.
- Develop a three-dimensional
representation of the scanned geometry.
- Develop detailed computational models of the
vehicle for crashworthiness studies
- Create finite element model of the
vehicle using the scanned geometry.
- Develop a modeling environment that will
allow for easy generation of vehicle
models for different loading conditions.
(e.g. front, offset, oblique, side impact
with different obstacles and vehicles)
- Develop computer environment that will allow for
easy design modifications and material
crashworthiness evaluations.
- Perform basic model verification.
- Phase II (Year II)
- Perform computational simulations of collisions
of the developed model for the aluminum intensive
vehicle and various obstacles and vehicles.
- Experimentally test the aluminum intensive
vehicle crash performance (if data can not be
obtained otherwise).
- Verify the accuracy of the model against the
experimental data.
- Perform model modifications.
- Quantify advantages of aluminum autobodies for
crash situations.
- Document the developments and findings.
Scope
The scope of the project is to accelerate the development and
introduction of aluminum intensive auto bodies through the use of
advanced computational simulations for the assessment of
integrated design and performance. The project will:
1. Analyze the existing aluminum vehicle designs
- analyze applicability of aluminum for different vehicle
classes
- Computational analysis of various collision situations
with rigid and deformable barriers, and with
characteristic current US fleet vehicles
2. Analyze the vehicle models representing the current US car
fleet
- Develop crashworthiness computer models
- determine weight reduction potential using aluminum
- perform design modifications required for aluminum
- develop substructure design modification for aluminum
- perform crashworthiness analysis of the modified design
- evaluate aluminum advantages for different vehicle
classes
3. Document the developments and findings.
This project takes advantage of ongoing vehicle
crashworthiness projects at ORNL aimed at developing vehicle
models that are representative of US car and truck fleet. These
models are used as starting platforms for this project and only
the activities specific to this project are performed.
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