Comparison of whole-body kinematic behaviour of the GHBMC occupant model to PMHS in far-side sled tests

Abstract

Although far-side collisions have historically received little consideration in automotive safety, their fatality risk is comparable to that of near-side collisions. The future development of restraint systems for far-side protection requires a surrogate occupant model that could be used for a large number of iterative parametric studies. The goal of this study is to assess and enhance the biofidelity of the Global Human Body Model Consortium 50th percentile male occupant model (GHBMC AM50-O v4.4) using 3D kinematics data from a series of post-mortem human subject (PMHS) far-side sled tests, which is the most comprehensive dataset currently available for biofidelity evaluation of human surrogates in far-side impacts. Since the PMHS in the sled tests exhibited significant lateral bending of the torso, mechanical properties of the spine of the human body model were re-examined using a series of cadaveric lumbar spine tests. Six PMHS far-side sled tests were modelled and simulated, which consisted of two low-severities with and without seatbelt pretensioning and one high-severity with pretensioning for oblique and lateral impact directions, respectively. The sensitivities of seatbelt pretensioning, impact severity and impact direction to occupant whole-body kinematic behaviour found in the PMHS tests were observed in the human body model simulations.