Crush simulation of cars with FEA

Abstract

Two finite element analysis fields in which highly nonlinear conditions are simulated are the crash and crush analyses of complete motorcar models. The purpose of a crash analysis is to see how the car will behave in a frontal or sideways collision. In a crash analysis, the crashing of a car at about 30 mph into a rigid wall is simulated. Various crash codes, such as LSDYNA, PAMCRASH, and RADIOSS, are used. In a crush analysis, the purpose is to establish the ultimate strength of the car body in a static situation. The laboratory experiment to identify crush behavior is performed by crushing the car slowly using a device to push a thick steel plate onto the car roof and measuring the load-deformation relation.