This article describes work undertaken by Rover, to test the Composite Test Procedure (CTP) for evaluating the protection to car occupants during side impact which are currently being developed by the Committee of Common Market Constructors (CCMC). The CTP is a quasi static structural testing process to obtain force/deflection data that is then analyzed using a computer mass/spring model. The computer model simulates the dynamic events that occur in a real world dynamic test by solving second order differential equations of motion. Two CTP test procedures were evaluated and details are provided of each. The first, and original procedure used only a single block interior loading device (ILD) to represent the vehicle occupant. Tests were performed on the Rover 800, using both the EEVC (European Experimental Vehicles Committee) foam barrier and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) aluminium honeycomb barrier. When compared to results obtained using a full scale test, the results using the CTP procedure were encouraging but did not pick up the initial high peak in struck vehicle acceleration or the general oscillating nature of the curve. Dummy body response was also inaccurate. In the second procedure, refinements were made to the method of fixing the vehicle to its mounts, and the method of measuring both barrier displacements and interior deformation. Two interior loading devices were used one representing the pelvis, and the other the thorax with a fixed abdominal block. The model created using this data thus obtained produced satisfactory results except for the rib to thorax modelisation.
Samenvatting