Analysis of Structural Configurations for Assessment of Crashworthiness

Crashworthiness of an energy absorbing (EA) structural member depends on its geometric configuration and material. Different structural configurations can be conceived to enhance performance of crashworthiness in design of safety systems in automobiles. Specific energy absorption (SEA) is often regarded as an important parameter in assessing crashworthiness and is commonly adopted in majority of research conducted in developing a variety of EA structures. Major limitation in most EA structures is that they exhibit high initial peak force and low stroke efficiency. This paper presents an analysis of few new structural configurations for EA structures that essentially meet all important parameters of crashworthiness such as high crash force efficiency (CFE), stroke efficiency (SE) and SEA. The structures are made of aluminium alloy AA7005 in T6 state. The relative merits of each configuration are discussed and a best one is recommended for improved crashworthiness.