Numerical Characterization and Validation of Vehicle Collisions

Abstract

In the recent years the road accident analysis has been one of the main fields of research for automotive engineering, because of the heavy costs which Europe has to sustain each year in terms of injuries, fatalities and related costs. In this paper, starting from an impulsive model available in literature, a numerical characterization of vehicle collisions and deformation process is proposed and validated, identifying the main parameters which describe the vehicle impact behaviour. The study, conducted by using both empirical and numerical data (simulated trough Ls- Dyna), analyses the impact process by considering several situations, with different severity and geometry of impact; furthermore, with reference to the main parameters which describe the vehicle behaviour in the impact, the authors present a wide analysis, classified according to the severity of impact and to the different parts of the vehicle structure which absorb the impact energy.