The Design of a Piecewise-Integrated Composite Bumper Beam with Machine-Learning Algorithms

In the present study, a piecewise-integrated composite bumper beam for passenger cars is proposed, and the design innovation process for a composite bumper beam regarding a bumper test protocol suggested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is carried out with the help of machine learning models. Several elements in the bumper FE model have been assigned to be references in order to collect training data, which allow the machine learning model to study the method of predicting loading types for each finite element. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional implementations are provided by machine learning models, which determine the stacking sequences of each finite element in the piecewise-integrated composite bumper beam. It was found that the piecewise-integrated composite bumper beam, which is designed by a machine learning model, is more effective for reducing the possibility of structural failure as well as increasing bending strength compared to the conventional composite bumper beam. Moreover, the three-dimensional implementation produces better results compared with results from the two-dimensional implementation since it is preferable to choose loading-type information, which is achieved from surroundings when the target elements are located either at corners or junctions of planes, instead of using information that comes from the identical plane of target elements.