Numerical analysis of an intercity bus structure: A simple unifilar model proposal to assess frontal and semifrontal crash scenarios

Abstract

To improve the safety of the intercity bus structure against impact scenarios and to reduce the injures and death in traffic accidents it is crucial in a country with continental dimensions like Brazil, where the road transport matrix is fundamental in the traffic of people and goods. In this context in the present article, a numerical model of an intercity bus was built with elastoplastic beams implemented in a commercial software LSDYNA. This model was submitted to different frontal and semi frontal impact crash scenarios. With this model were analyzed different accidents which happened in the Brazilian highways, it was also simulated a frontal impact test and the results obtained were compared with the experimental results. Finally three numerical approaches were compared, they are: a simple model made with lumped masses and non-linear springs series connected, the elastoplastic beam model and the conventional non-linear finite element model built with shell elements. The different comparisons carried out let us validate the intercity bus model created using elastoplastic beam elements and propose to use this model as an effective tool to search for more efficient bus structural configurations against impact scenarios.