Study of light vehicle side impact crash simulation test

Abstract

Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of vehicles. In this study, side impact test finite element models were presented. The crashworthiness of the side members is generally evaluate with the amount of penetration as well as the shape of the center pillar and the side sill after crash. The crash simulations utilized the LS-DYNA finite element code. The analysis result provides deformed shapes, amounts of penetration and accelerations at several important points during crash. The results indicate that the center pillar has considerable potential to absorb the impact and reducing the deformation and intrusion of the vehicle.