New load transfer structure to reduce body deformation in side collisions.

Area of Science:

• Automotive Engineering
• Crashworthiness and Safety Design

Background:

• Conventional vehicle body structures absorb side-impact energy through bending deformation, leading to significant body distortion in high-energy collisions.
• Existing designs struggle to manage the substantial loads generated during severe impacts, necessitating advanced safety solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative vehicle body structure that enhances load-bearing capacity from the initial impact.
• To minimize car body deformation during side collisions, improving occupant protection.

Main Methods:

• Development of an arched door beam designed to manage bending moments and increase lateral load resistance.
• Utilized principle equations with door beam shape as a variable, followed by impactor testing of prototypes.
• Conducted full-vehicle simulations on a mass-produced sedan incorporating the arched door beam.

Main Results:

• Impactor tests revealed a 7.1-fold increase in load gradient compared to conventional straight door beams.
• Full-car simulations demonstrated a 4.7-fold higher body load gradient for the proposed structure.
• Observed a 210 mm reduction in shoulder-adjacent body deformation and a 56% decrease in dummy spine acceleration.

Conclusions:

• The novel arched door beam structure effectively increases load absorption and significantly reduces body deformation and occupant spine acceleration.
• This technology is highly suitable for electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) due to their higher weight and increased energy absorption requirements.