Performance of Automotive Composite Bumper Beams and Hood Subjected to Frontal Impacts

Mai Nursherida Jalauddin; Aidy Ali; Barkawi Sahari; Nuraini Abdul Aziz

doi:10.3139/120.110291

Article

Performance of Automotive Composite Bumper Beams and Hood Subjected to Frontal Impacts

Mai Nursherida Jalauddin , Aidy Ali , Barkawi Sahari and Nuraini Abdul Aziz

Published/Copyright: May 26, 2013

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From the journal Materials Testing Volume 54 Issue 1

Abstract

Performance of automotive composite bumper beam subjected to frontal impact is presented and discussed in this paper. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of steel and composite materials on internal energy of the automotive front bumper beam and with respect to pedestrian head injury at the hood. The front bumper beams and hood made of aluminum AA5182, e-glass/epoxy composite and carbon epoxy composite were studied and characterized by impact modeling using LS-DYNA V971, according to United States New Car Assessment Program (US-NCAP) defining the frontal impact velocity and based on European Enhanced Vehicle-Safety Committee. The most important variables of this structure were mass, material, internal energy, and the so-called Head Injury Criterion (HIC). The results are compared with a bumper beam and a hood made of mild steel. The in-plane failure behaviors of the composites were evaluated by using the Tsai Wu failure criterion. LS-DYNA Finite Element Analysis software was used. The results showed that a carbon fiber/epoxy composite bumper can reduce the bumper mass and has the highest value of internal energy followed by the glass fiber/epoxy composite. The FE model of a production hood was introduced and validated. In order to evaluate the protective performance of the baseline hood, the FE models for a 50 percentile of an adult pedestrian dummy were used to impact the hood. It was found that the aluminum AA5182 hood can obviously reduce the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) values compared to the baseline hood. The HIC values of the dummy model were further reduced to much lower than 1000.

Kurzfassung

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird das Verhalten von Stoßstangenträgern aus Kompositwerkstoffen unter Frontalaufprall vorgestellt und diskutiert. Das Ziel der zugrunde liegenden Studie war es, die Auswirkungen der Wahl von Stahl- und Kompositwerkstoffen auf die interne Energie des Frontstoßstangenträgers sowie in Hinblick auf die Kopfverletzung von Fußgängern durch die Haube zu analysieren. Die Stoßstangenträger und die Haube aus der Aluminiumlegierung AA 5182, aus Glasfaser-Epoxid und Kohlefaser-Epoxid Kompositwerkstoffen wurden anhand von Modellierungen des Aufpralls mittels LS-DYNA V971 charakterisiert, entsprechend des United States New Car Assessment Program (US-NCAP), in dem die frontale Aufprallgeschwindigkeit festgelegt ist, sowie des European Enhanced Vehicle-Safety Committee. Die bedeutendsten Variablen in dieser Struktur sind die Masse, der Werkstoff, die interne Energie und das sogenannte Head Injury Criterion (HIC). Die Ergebnisse wurden mit denen für Stoßstangenträger und Hauben aus Stahlwerkstoffen verglichen. Das Versagensverhalten der Kompositwerkstoffe wurde mit Hilfe des Tsai Wu-Kriteriums evaluiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass durch die Wahl des Faser-Epoxid-Komposits die Masse des Stoßstangenträgers reduziert und die interne Energie erhöht werden kann, gefolgt von dem Glasfaserkompositwerkstoff. Das Finite Elemente-Modell für die anschließend produzierte Haube wurde so ebenfalls eingeführt und validiert. Um die Schutzwirkung der Basis-Haube zu evaluieren, wurde ein Dummy eines Erwachsenen verwendet, um die Stoßbeanspruchung der Haube zu simulieren. Es wurde festgestellt, dass durch die Wahl der Aluminiumlegierung AA 5182 die Werte des Head Injury Criterion (HIC) offensichtlich gegenüber der Basis-Haube reduziert werden können. Die HIC-Werte des Dummies wurde anschließend auf unter 1000 verringert.

Mai Nursherida J., born 1983 in Kuala Pilah Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, obtained a Second Class Upper Honors Degree, Bachelor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering in 2006 from University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. Currently she is pursuing her Master degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University Putra Malaysia, UPM. In 2010, she was the member of a research group of the program Computationally Optimized Fuel Efficient Car that was lead by Professor Ir. Dr. Barkawi Bin Sahari. The program is still running smoothly now and she managed to publish one journal paper in early 2011. Mai Nursherida Binti Jalaluddin was Graduate Member at the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM).

B. B. Sahari, born 1957, in Kampung Sahari, Simpang Renggam, Johor, obtained a First Class Honors Degree, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, 1981 and his Ph. D in Mechanical Engineering 1984, both from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. Four papers were published based on his Ph. D thesis. Barkawi major fields of study are stress analysis, Strength of Material and Finite Element Analysis. In 1986, he was a member of a research group of the program “Automation and Computer Application in Industry”. The program was successfully carried out and was completed in 1990 with 11 publications. Barkawi was also the head of a team that implemented a research program classified as National Prioritized Research (PR) under the IRPA mechanism, and currently he is the subproject leader for the research program Computionally Optimised Fuel Efficient Concept Car.

Professor Ir. Dr. Barkawi was appointed as the Deputy Dean (Research) from January 1999 to September 2002. Professor Barkawi was appointed as the Head, Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia from September 2006 to September 2009. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, UPM.

Aidy Ali, born 1976 in Johor, received his first degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Universiti Putra Malaysia, 1999, and then continued his studies at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Manufacturing System Engineering, leading to a Master degree. He was awarded with a M. Eng degree in 2002. After that, his pursued his Ph. D degree in Improving Fatigue Life of Aircraft Components by studying Surface Engineering at the University of Sheffield, UK. He was awarded a Ph. D degree in March 2006. His expertise is related to mechanical materials, failure assessment, failure prevention analysis, reliability engineering prediction and crash analysis. Associate Professor Dr. Aidy Ali was a Graduate Member, Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM).

A. A. Nuraini, born 1972 in Perak, Malaysia, received her first degree in Mechanical and System Engineering in 1997 from the Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. She was awarded with the Master of Science (Mechanical Engineering) in 2000. After that, she pursued her Ph. D degree in 2007 from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM. In 2010, she was a member of a research group of the program Computationally Optimized Fuel Efficient Car that lead by Professor Ir. Dr. Barkawi Bin Sahari. Her expertise is related to strength of material, engineering design, finite element analysis and stochastic Analysis.

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Published Online: 2013-05-26

Published in Print: 2012-01-01

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https://doi.org/10.3139/120.110291