Non-linear finite element analyses of automobiles and their elements in crashes

During the last decade, automobile manufacturers have used computer simulations and are developing computer technology widely and more effectively to improve the crashworthiness of vehicles. Car manufacturers analyse the crashworthiness of vehicle designs in various crash scenarios, by means of advanced vehicle models, using finite element methods. This considerably reduces the number of costly crash tests performed with the designed vehicles in test labs. In this study, the deformation mechanism of vehicles was analysed in full frontal, offset frontal and side impact scenarios. The analyses used an explicit analysis algorithm within the 'ANSYS/LS-DYNA' program, using data models for various vehicles. The simulation results were compared with actual crash test data of the corresponding vehicles. The comparisons indicate that the obtained results are reliable and the algorithm used in these analyses can be useful in crash simulations, thereby considerably reducing the number of crash tests required during the automobile design process. © 2010 Taylor & Francis