Crashworthiness design of multi-corner thin-walled columns

• Published in: Thin-walled structures Vol. 46; no. 12; pp. 1329 - 1337
• Main Author: Liu, Yucheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2008; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Crashworthiness design; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element analysis; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Hexagonal section; Inelasticity (thermoplasticity, viscoplasticity...); Octagonal section; Optimum design; Physics; Response surface method; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Octagonal section; Hexagonal section; Optimum design; Finite element analysis; Response surface method; Crashworthiness design; Wall thickness; Wedge; Modeling; Optimization; Optimal design; Finite element method; Design process; Inelasticity; Energy dissipation; Column; Bending moment; Response surface; Axial load; Thin walled beam; Energy absorption; Curvature; Crush; Mechanical shock
• ISSN: 0263-8231; 1879-3223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tws.2008.04.003

This paper presents a crashworthiness design of regular multi-corner thin-walled columns with different types of cross-sections and different profiles, including straight octagonal columns and curved hexagonal columns. In this paper, the straight octagonal section columns are first optimized, which mainly take axial crash loads during crashes. Next, the curved hexagonal section columns are optimized following the same approach, which are subject to bending moment when impact occurs. During the design optimizations, specific energy absorption ( SEA) is set as the design objective, side length of the cross-sections and wall thickness are selected as design variables, and maximum crushing force ( P m) is set as the design constraint. Both the objective and constraint are formulated using the response surface method (RSM) based on sets of finite element (FE) results obtained from FE analyses (FEA). After obtaining the optimal designs, parametric studies are performed to investigate the influences of the design variables on the crash performance of such multi-corner thin-walled columns.