Characteristics of New-type Energy Absorber for Vehicle Collision

A new type energy absorber was introduced,which is composed of thousands of thin ring plates with different diameters.Because it can switch the impact to thousands of shearing actions among thin ring plates inside the absorber,the impact energy is decentralized and dissipated gradually,the impact acting time is extended and the peak of acceleration is reduced obviously.Numerical simulations by finite element method (FEM) coupled with smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method were preformed to predict the energy absorption characteristics.Energy absorption ability with different impact velocities was studied and the effects of thickness and material of ring plates were discussed.The sled crash test was carried out to validate the result of simulations.The new type absorber is effective for collision that impact velocity is lower than 40 km/h.

An Energy Absorber with Force Modificator

Thin-walled tubes are extensively applied in engineering, especially in vehicle structures to resist axial or traversal impact loads, for their excellent energy absorbing capacity. However, in the axial deformation mode, the force history has an extremely high peak force which may bring not only fatal injury to occupants but also damage to structures, cargo and environment. Aiming to develop energy absorbers with impact-force modificator, square metal tube with force modificator is investigated which can monitor the force-deformation history of the tube. A small device is designed to serve as an impact-force modificator, which introduces desired imperfections to the square tube just before the impact happens between the impactor and the tube, so as to reduce the peak force. Prototypes with various governing parameters were manufactured and tested both quasi-statically and dynamically to study the effects of these parameters on the characteristics of energy absorption. The results show that the force modificator can achieve the desired reduction of the peak force well whilst remaining the specific energy absorption capacity of the original square tube. With future improvements, it could be applied to vehicles or roadside safety hardware to mitigate the consequences produced by traffic accidents.

Crashworthiness of bamboo-inspired circular tubes used for the energy absorber of rail vehicles

A new type of thin-walled circular tubes(CTs),which is inspired by the bamboo with highly-efficient energy absorption(EA)capability,was proposed and designed for the potential application of the energy absorber of rail vehicles in this study.And then,the axial crushing behavior and crashworthiness of the bamboo-inspired bionic tube(BT)were experimentally and numerically investigated,compared with the single CT and foam-filled tube(FT).The typical crushing responses(e.g.,deformation mode,load-displacement response,energy absorption,and strain distribution)and quantitative crashworthiness indicators(EA,SEA,FP,Fm,and CFE)of these three types of CTs were presented and discussed.Effects of impact velocity and foam relative density on the crashworthiness of tested tubes were also explored.The experimental and simulation results show that the BT specimen exhibits the best capability of load-carrying,energy absorption,and crashworthiness among three types of tubes.Compared with the CT specimen,the EA value of BT specimens increased by 93.1%,while the corresponding Fm value raised from 74.2 kN to 143.4 kN.

CALCULATION OF THE HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A OWC WAVE ENERGY ABSORBER

This paper deals with the hydrodynamic response to waves of a 3-D OWC(oscillating water column)wave energy absorber with converging channel.The theoretical solutions are presented by means of three-dimensional GREEN function method.In the calculation,the flow field is divided into two subregions:an inside field and an outside one.In the outside field the solution is represented by oscillating sources distributed on the outer surface of the chamber of the absorber,while the solution of the inside field is expressed by Rakine source-distribution on the inner surface of the chamber.Both solutions are matched on the artificial interface.The calculated.values seem to agree reasonably well with experimental results.

Mechanism and Method of Testing Fracture Toughness and Impact Absorbed Energy of Ductile Metals by Spherical Indentation Tests

To address the problem of conventional approaches for mechanical property determination requiring destructive sampling, which may be unsuitable for in-service structures, the authors proposed a method for determining the quasi-static fracture toughness and impact absorbed energy of ductile metals from spherical indentation tests (SITs). The stress status and damage mechanism of SIT, mode I fracture, Charpy impact tests, and related tests were frst investigated through fnite element (FE) calculations and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, respectively. It was found that the damage mechanism of SITs is diferent from that of mode I fractures, while mode I fractures and Charpy impact tests share the same damage mechanism. Considering the diference between SIT and mode I fractures, uniaxial tension and pure shear were introduced to correlate SIT with mode I fractures. Based on this, the widely used critical indentation energy (CIE) model for fracture toughness determination using SITs was modifed. The quasi-static fracture toughness determined from the modifed CIE model was used to evaluate the impact absorbed energy using the dynamic fracture toughness and energy for crack initiation. The efectiveness of the newly proposed method was verifed through experiments on four types of steels: Q345R, SA508-3, 18MnMoNbR, and S30408.

Damage mechanics and energy absorption capabilities of natural fiber reinforced elastomeric based bio composite for sacrificial structural applications

The present study deals with the experimental,finite element(FE)and analytical assessment of low ballistic impact response of proposed flexible‘green’composite make use of naturally available jute and rubber as the constituents of the composite with stacking sequences namely jute/rubber/jute(JRJ),jute/rubber/rubber/jute(JRRJ)and jute/rubber/jute/rubber/jute(JRJRJ).Ballistic impact tests were carried out by firing a conical projectile using a gas gun apparatus at lower range of ballistic impact regime.The ballistic impact response of the proposed flexible composites are assesses based on energy absorption and damage mechanism.Results revealed that inclusion of natural rubber aids in better energy absorption and mitigating the failure of the proposed composite.Among the three different stacking sequences of flexible composites considered,JRJRJ provides better ballistic performance compared to its counterparts.The damage study reveals that the main mechanism of failure involved in flexible composites is matrix tearing as opposed to matrix cracking in stiff composites indicating that the proposed flexible composites are free from catastrophic failure.Results obtained from experimental,FE and analytical approach pertaining to energy absorption and damage mechanism agree well with each other.The proposed flexible composites due to their exhibited energy absorption capabilities and damage mechanism are best suited as claddings for structural application subjected to impact with an aim of protecting the main structural component from being failed catastrophically.

Experimental Research on the Dynamic Energy Absorbing Capacity of the Honeycomb Paperboard Filled with Polyurethane

A kind of composite buffering material was made by filling the voids of honeycomb paperboard with polyurethane. Drop tests were performed to evaluate the dynamic energy absorption capacity of the material. Based on the tests results,the mechanical behaviors of the material under low velocity dynamic impact conditions were analyzed. It was shown that the absorbed energy of the composite material varies inversely with the void diameter. The absorbed energy of the composite material is 1- 2 times than that of honeycomb paperboard and polyurethane. The energy absorption efficiency of the composite material is better than those of honeycomb paperboard and polyurethane.

Transferability of Charpy Absorbed Energy to Fracture Toughness Based on Weibull Stress Criterion

The relationship between Charpy absorbed energy and the fracture toughness by means of the (crack tip opening displacement (CTOD)) method was analyzed based on the Weibull stress criterion. The Charpy absorbed energy and the fracture toughness were measured for the SN490B steel under the ductile-brittle transition temperature region. For the instrumented Charpy impact test, the curves between the loading point displacement and the load against time were recorded. The critical Weibull stress was taken as a fracture controlled parameter, and it could not be affected by the specimen configuration and the loading pattern based on the local approach. The parameters controlled brittle fracture are obtained from the Charpy absorbed energy results, then the fracture toughness for the compact tension (CT) specimen is predicted. It is found that the results predicted are in good agreement with the experimental. The fracture toughness could be evaluated by the Charpy absorbed energy, because the local approach gives a good description for the brittle fracture even though the Charpy impact specimen or the CT specimen is used for the given material.

Improvement of Impact Absorbed Energy of CFRPs on Adding the Nanoparticles into Epoxy Resins

The present study investigates the effect of the addition of nanoparticles into epoxy resins as the matrix on the impact absorbed energy of CFRP （carbon fiber reinforced polymer）. Impact absorbed energy is one of the main properties to evaluate the CFRP＇s performance for transportation and aerospace structures. Two types of nanoparticle, namely nanofibers and nano-silica beads, were added into the epoxy resin to improve the impact absorption capacity of the CFRP. Two modified additives and conventional epoxy resins were quantitatively compared. The impact test results showed that impact absorbed energy for nanofibers was higher than nano-silica beads, and nanofibers as the additive promoted about 11% of impact absorbed energy compared with neat epoxy resin.

Fabrication and Characterization of Lightweight Ceramic/Polyurethane Composites

The paper presents the experimental results of fabrication and characterization of ceramic/polyurethane composites.The composites were fabricated from preforms with gradient of porosity and different pores size.The composites obtained via infiltration of porous Al_(2)O_(3)ceramics by urea-urethane elastomers poses a microstructure of percolated phases.In order to improve thermal resistance and mechanical properties of composites,fire retardants and silane coupling agent were used.The microstructure of ceramic/elastomer composites was characterized using X-ray tomography as well as Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM).The microscopic observations proved that the matrix pores are filled with the elastomer.It was found that residual porosity of composites was up to 5vol.%.Such composites exhibit high initial strength with the ability to sustain large deformations due to combining the ceramic stiffness and rubbery elasticity of elastomer.Static compression tests for the obtained composites were carried out and the energy absorbed during compression was calculated as the area under the stress-strain curve.The dynamic behavior of the composite was investigated using the split Hopkinson pressure bar technique in conjunction with high-speed photography.It was found that ceramic-elastomer composites effectively absorb the energy.Moreover,ballistic test was carried out using armor piercing bullets.

3D printed modular Bouligand dissipative structures with adjustable mechanical properties for gradient energy absorbing

Three-dimensional(3D)printing allows for the creation of complex,layered structures with precise micro and macro architectures that are not achievable through traditional methods.By designing 3D structures with geometric precision,it is possible to achieve selective regulation of mechanical properties,enabling efficient dissipation of mechanical energy.In this study,a series of modular samples inspired by the Bouligand structure were designed and produced using a direct ink writing system,along with a classical printable polydimethylsiloxane ink.By altering the angles of filaments in adjacent layers(from 30◦to 90◦)and the filament spacing during printing(from 0.8 mm to 2.4 mm),the mechanical properties of these modular samples can be adjusted.Compression mechanical testing revealed that the 3D printed modular Bouligand structures exhibit stress-strain responses that enable multiple adjustments of the elastic modulus from 0.06 MPa to over 0.8 MPa.The mechanical properties were adjusted more than 10 times in printed samples prepared using uniform materials.The gradient control mechanism of mechanical properties during this process was analyzed using finite element analysis.Finally,3D printed customized modular Bouligand structures can be assembled to create an array with Bouligand structures displaying various orientations and interlayer details tailored to specific requirements.By decomposing the original Bouligand structure and then assembling the modular samples into a specialized array,this research aims to provide parameters for achieving gradient energy absorption structures through modular 3D printing.

Effects of rock dusting in preventing and reducing intensity of coal mine explosions

As an explosion control measure, rock dusting has been used in underground coal mines in many major coal producing countries with different standards. The effectiveness of the rock dust in reducing explosion intensity has been proven by historic events and laboratory experiments. The main functions of rock dust in controlling mine explosions （i.e., isolator, physical heat sink and chemical energy absorber） have been quantitatively studied and results are presented in this paper.

Damage and penetration behavior of aluminum foam at various impacts

In this work, the damage and penetration behavior of aluminum foam at various types of impact were examined through experiments. The impact energy of a striker was applied on the fixed aluminum foam having a thickness of 25 mm while increasing its impact by 2 J at each strike from 6 J to 16 J. The results show that the impact energies from 6 J to 12 J could not penetrate aluminum foam. However, the aluminum foam applied with the impact energy of 12 J incurred severe damages on its lower part. Finally, the aluminum foam applied with the impact energy of 14 J was penetrated. The striker having the impact energy of 6 J could penetrate aluminum foam around 10 mm. At this moment, aluminum foam could absorb the impact energy of around 9 J. When the impact energy of 14 J was applied on the aluminum foam, the aluminum foam was penetrated and it absorbed the impact energy of around 17.2 J. It is possible to create the safer structure against impact using the results of this work. The simulation results for the verification of the experimental results imply that the results for all the experiments in this work are reliable. It is possible to predict the structural safety of the aluminum foam for an impact if the impact behavior of aluminum foam performed in this work is utilized.

Fast evaluation of ship-bridge collision force based on nonlinear numerical simulation

The max collision force of ship-bridge collision is one of the most importantreferences for bridge design. By mean linear digital simulation method, the collision forces ofthe collisions between rigid bridge pier and ship bow were calculated out for four different ships,whose tonnages are 5 000,10 000,50 000 and 60 000 DWT respectively. Curves of collisionforce-penetration and absorbed energy-penetration are obtained, and the data of the max loads arethen summarized. On the basis of these curves and data, a set of curves describing therelationships between max collision forces and tonnages of the ships are successfully presented, bywhich the max collision forces of the ships-bridge with different tonnages and in differentvelocities can be estimated easily and reliably.

Triaxial shear behavior of a cement-treated sand——gravel mixture

A number of parameters,e.g.cement content,cement type,relative density,and grain size distribution,can influence the mechanical behaviors of cemented soils.In the present study,a series of conventional triaxial compression tests were conducted on a cemented poorly graded sandegravel mixture containing 30% gravel and 70% sand in both consolidated drained and undrained conditions.Portland cement used as the cementing agent was added to the soil at 0%,1%,2%,and 3%(dry weight) of sandegravel mixture.Samples were prepared at 70% relative density and tested at confining pressures of 50 kPa,100 kPa,and150 kPa.Comparison of the results with other studies on well graded gravely sands indicated more dilation or negative pore pressure in poorly graded samples.Undrained failure envelopes determined using zero Skempton’s pore pressure coefficient (= 0) criterion were consistent with the drained ones.Energy absorption potential was higher in drained condition than undrained condition,suggesting that more energy was required to induce deformation in cemented soil under drained state.Energy absorption increased with increase in cement content under both drained and undrained conditions.

Influence of flange location on axial deformation stability of double-hat structure

A new structural configuration with better impact stability for increasing energy absorbing efficiency is found. Based on finite element analysis, deformation modes of double-hat structure under axial impact loading are categorized to find the main reasons that affect deformation stability. It is revealed that, in a double-hat structure, the location of the flanges is highly related to the deform- ation mode and energy absorbing efficiency. Moving the flanges away from their traditional mid-loca- tion may result in more regular and stable deformation mode and achieve higher energy absorbing ef- ficiency. The flange offset value needs to be controlled within a certain range, otherwise, the doub- le-hat structure would tend to deform like a top-hat structure and the energy absorbing efficiency could be compromised. These findings and analyses lead to a new structural design configuration- asymmetric flange locations--for enhancing the deformation mode stability in double-hat structures.

Factors Affecting Polymer Translocation Through a Nanopore in a Membrane

Monte Carlo simulations were used to study the translocation of a flexible polymer through a pore in a membrane, assuming an attractive interaction between the monomers and the membrane on the trans side of the membrane and no interaction on the cis side. For the case T〈Tc （the temperature corresponding to the minimum in the translocation time τ）, the value of τdecreases with increasing temperature, whereas for T〉Tc, τ increases with increasing temperature. The translocation time depends on the absorbed energy uo in a nontrivial way. The value of τ increases initially upon increasing uo before it begins to decrease. The variation of the translocation time with respect to the solvent quality was also studied. It showed that there is a transition, as the solvent quality improves from ＂poor＂ to ＂good＂： when εAB〈εc （the interaction energy corresponding to the minimum in τ）, τdecreases with increasing the value of εAB; when εAB〉εc, τincreases with increasing εAB- When the chain length was changed, it was found that when the absorbed energy uo was greater than uc,τ was proportional to N1.602; for uo〈uc, τ∝N2.248. As the solvent quality improved from ＂poor＂ to ＂good,＂ the translocation probability increased initially before becoming stable.

Development and Impact Behaviors of FRP Guarder Belt for Side Collision of Automobiles

In automobiles, the CFRP （carbon fiber reinforced plastics） has a possibility of weight reduction in automotive structures which can contribute to improve mileage and then reduce carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the safety of collision should be also made clear in the case of employing the CFRP to automotive structures. In this paper, the CFRP guarder belt equipped in the automotive door is developed and examined by an experiment and a numerical analysis for replacing the conventional steel door guarder beam. As the experimental relation of impact load to displacement for CFRP guarder belt agreed well with that of numerical result, the numerical method developed here is quite useful for estimating impact behaviors of CFRP guarder belt.

Design and Analysis of Energy Absorbent Bioinspired Lattice Structures

The increasing demand for energy absorbent structures,paired with the need for more efficient use of materials in a wide range of engineering fields,has led to an extensive range of designs in the porous forms of sandwiches,honeycomb,and foams.To achieve an even better performance,an ingenious solution is to learn how biological structures adjust their configurations to absorb energy without catastrophic failure.In this study,we have attempted to blend the shape freedom,offered by additive manufacturing techniques,with the biomimetic approach,to propose new lattice structures for energy absorbent applications.To this aim we have combined multiple bio-inspirational sources for the design of optimized configurations under compressive loads.Periodic lattice structures are fabricated based on the designed unit cell geometries and studied using experimental and computational strategies.The individual effect of each bio-inspired feature has been evaluated on the energy absorbance performance of the designed structure.Based on the design parameters of the lattices,a tuning between the strength and energy absorption could be obtained,paving the way for transition within a wide range of real-life applicative scenarios.

Simulation of crooked plate energy absorption structure under impact

Due to their simple structure,crooked plates are widely processed into energy absorption structures.There are obvious differences in the final deformation of crooked plates with different materials and dynamic conditions under the impact of constant-input kinetic energy.To better understand this phenomenon,we solved the Zhang-Yu equation with Maple software,obtained the law of generalized coordinates(rotation angle)of the energy absorber changing with time,and compared the energy absorption capacity of a crooked plate energy absorber under different parameters.To better understand how the motion of the energy absorber is affected by the change of parameters,we calculated the phase diagram of the energy absorber dynamics.After many numerical simulations,we found that the four-crooked plate energy absorber should have a mass-sensitive structure.We established the finite element model of dynamic buckling of mild steel and 6061-T6 aluminum alloy,and compared it with the Calladine-English dynamic experiment and Zhang-Yu rigid viscoplastic model.The results show that:(1)the Zhang-Yu rigid viscoplastic model has more guiding significance for mild steel(strain rate-sensitive material),and has greater error for 6061-T6 aluminum alloy(strain rate-insensitive material),and the prediction error further increases with the initial angle;and(2)by modifying the equivalent plastic length A of a plastic hinge according to the finite element model,the prediction accuracy of the Zhang-Yu rigid viscoplastic model can be improved.Our research results certain guiding significance for the design and manufacture of energy-absorbing structures of crooked plates.