RESEARCH INTO ELEMENTS OF THE MULTIFUNCTIONAL DEFORMATION ZONES OF A CAR BODY

Abstract

The studies of car’s passive safety through car crash field tests are complicated and expensive as they require for significant practical skills and specific equipment. The effect of particular elements within deformation zones on the process of impact can be examined with sufficient precision using dynamic multi-mass models. This paper offers a methodology for development of the description of such models and individual parts of deformation zones. Having developed the appropriate dynamic model that is capable of delivering results adequate to those of field experiments, it is possible to simply and precisely assess the effect of additionally installed multifunctional elements on a car’s safety. Simulation results showed that foam plastic or rubber elements additionally installed at the front of a car have the effect on behaviour of the subsequent deformation zones and course of the impact. Additional elements absorb a particular fraction of the impact energy, and reduce initial deformation speed of subsequent deformation zones and the amount of the energy absorbed by them. Simulation of the impact to barrier at different speeds resulted in observation that additional elements serve to mitigate the process of the impact.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.19.2.4170