This paper focusses on recent developments and on-going research related to parallel and distributed approaches for crashworthiness simulation, using the PAM-CRASH code from ESI as an example. The developments described here relate directly to the take-up in the automotive industry of the latest High Performance Computing (HPC) technology, since crash and safety analysis is well established in ...

parametric design optimization of an automotive body crashworthiness improvement is presented. the thicknesses of parts are employed as design variables for optimization whose objective is to increase the maximum deceleration value of the vehicle center of gravity during an impact. using the taguchi method, this study analyzes the optimum conditions for design objectives and the impact factors ...

Ambulance vehicles are a unique passenger environment with complex crashworthiness and occupant protection issues, eg. occupants in various orientations, unique human factors aspects and an array of aftermarket interior modifications. In the USA, ambulance vehicle occupant protection, crashworthiness and safety testing lags 30 years behind current general automotive safety technology. This pape...

Automotive seats are tested for compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) to assure safety during impact. Many wheelchair users rely upon their wheelchairs to serve as vehicle seats. However, the crashworthiness of these wheelchairs during impact is often unknown. This study evaluated the crashworthiness of five combinations of wheelchair back support surfaces and attachmen...

The use of cellular materials in general in the automotive industry, and polymeric foams in particular, has been increasing significantly for the last few decades. These materials are used within a particular vehicle for many different purposes, among which are, for example, sound and thermal insulation, vibration damping, fire protection and, of course, crashworthiness. Thus, crashworthiness, ...

In this paper the optimal model of thin-walled sections of automotive body for structural crashworthiness is built. With computer design of experiment (DOE), the response surface model (RSM) of design can be obtained by carefully choosing a small quantity of samples in the design space. Pareto genetic algorithm (GA) is used in subsequently optimal design. With optimal design of thin-walled sect...

Broadcasts of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety high-speed automotive crash tests on NBC’s Dateline do not affect either market shares or stock prices. However, injury claims within a market class are highly correlated with crash test ratings. Inattention to the tests may be a consequence of the manner in which the crash tests have been presented and because the crashworthiness of the U.S....

There is concern that a trend toward smaller, lighter, fuel-efficient vehicles could adversely affect overall fleet safety. Since 2006, the U.S. Congress has directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to “examine the possible safety benefits of lightweight plastic and composite intensive vehicles (PCIVs)” with Federal and industry stakeholders. This paper identifies near-term r...

Parametric design optimization of an automotive body crashworthiness improvement is presented. The thicknesses of parts are employed as design variables for optimization whose objective is to increase the maximum deceleration value of the vehicle center of gravity during an impact. Using the Taguchi method, this study analyzes the optimum conditions for design objectives and the impact factors ...