A front bumper system for use on a Sport Utility Vehicle was designed by Honda R&D Americas, which meets the conflicting requirements for both pedestrian safety and 5 mph impact performance. The requirements for both substantial "soft" crush space and limited barrier intrusion presented conflicting design directions. A sport utility front bumper system, which balances these design parameters, was developed using computer modelling. A pedestrian upper legform to bumper test was modelled using MADYMO, while 5 mph barrier test simulations utilised LS-DYNA3D. The virtually developed pedestrian bumper system's performance was confirmed through physical testing. This paper outlines the process and methods used for this pedestrian bumper system development. Some details of the new bumper design and its performance are featured.
Samenvatting