Optimization of energy absorbing structures for the improvement of the compatibility of passenger vehicles.

DURING A COLLISION OF TWO VEHICLES, THE KINETIC ENERGIES AS FUNCTIONS OF VEHICLE VELOCITIES AND VEHICLE MASSES MUST BE ABSORPED IN THE ENERGY-ABSORBING VEHICLE ZONES. THIS IS INDISPENSABLE IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE LOADS ON THE OCCUPANTS CAUSED BY DECELERATION. THE DEGREE OF THE STRUCTURAL COMPATIBILITY IN THE PRESENT VEHICLE POPULATION CANNOT YET BE DESCRIBED AS OPTIMUM, SINCE THE CRASH BEHAVIOUR IS PRIMARILY ASSESSED ACCORDING TO THE BARRIER (WALL) COLLISION. THE RESULT OF THIS APPROACH IS THAT THE FORCE LEVELS OF THE ENERGY ABSORBING STRUCTURES ARE ONLY ADAPTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE MASS. WHEN TWO VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT MASSES COLLIDE (THIS IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF ACCIDENT IN THE STATISTICS), THE OCCUPANT LOADS IN THE SMALLER VEHICLE ARE CONSIDERABLY GREATER IN GENERAL THAN IN THE LARGER (HEAVIER) VEHICLE. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE ATTEMPT TO DEFINE THE VEHICLE ENERGY ABSORBING CHARACTERISTICS WITH THE HELP OF A RELATIVELY SIMPLE CRASH MODEL, SO THAT A HIGH DEGREE OF COMPATIBILITY IS PROVIDED DURING THE COLLISION OF VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT MASSES. (A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF SECTION 5 SEE IRRD 266063. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 266046.