Oblique pole-side crash assessment using the six-year-old HBM PIPER
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Published on: September 21, 2017
Jose L Torres-Ariza1,2, Luis Martínez Sáez2, Christopher R Torres-San Miguel1
1Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación Unidad Profesional "Adolfo López Mateos", Zacatenco Edificio 5, 2° Piso Col. Lindavista, C.P., 07738, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Insights
This study simulated oblique pole-side impacts on a child dummy without a restraint system. The nearside impact configuration resulted in higher injury measurements for the child occupant, highlighting risks in side crashes.
Area of Science:
- * Biomechanics and Accident Reconstruction
- * Child Occupant Safety
- * Finite Element Analysis in Automotive Safety
Background:
- * Side impact crashes pose significant risks to child occupants, with severe injuries often affecting the head and thorax.
- * Existing research highlights the vulnerability of children in these scenarios, necessitating further investigation into specific impact types like oblique pole-side tests.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To numerically evaluate the oblique pole-side impact test according to FMVSS 214-P standards.
- * To estimate potential Head, Neck, and Thorax injuries for a six-year-old child in the rear seat without a Child Restraint System (CRS).
- * To compare nearside and far-side positioning configurations for oblique pole-side impacts.
Main Methods:
- * Utilized a six-year-old Human Body Model (HBM), the Scalable PIPER Child Model, and a Ford Explorer 2003 model.
- * Performed simulations using LS-DYNA® software to analyze biomechanics in crash scenarios.
- * Conducted comparative case studies, validating mesh quality and interior component integrity after positioning adjustments.
Main Results:
- * Case 1 (far-side) showed minor outcomes in the shoulder and pelvis due to body positioning, not mesh or component interaction.
- * Case 2 (nearside) yielded higher injury measurements for the child occupant.
- * The nearside test Head injury values exceeded Euro NCAP's Child Occupant Protection criteria.
Conclusions:
- * The nearside oblique pole-side impact configuration presents a higher risk to child occupants.
- * Kinematic behavior underscores the critical need for research into child safety during side crashes.
- * Findings emphasize the importance of enhancing child security measures, particularly in oblique pole-side impact scenarios.
Abstract:
Side impact crashes are one of the most dangerous impact scenarios that a child can suffer. Studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have shown that the head and Thorax regions are affected severely. The objective of this work is to perform a numerical evaluation of the oblique pole-side test considering the FMVSS 214-P standard to estimate the Head, Neck, and Thorax injuries for a six-year-old child positioned in the rear seat without any Child Restraint System, two configurations were performed for the oblique pole-side impact: a nearside and a far-side positioning configuration. A six-year-old Human Body Model (HBM) denominated Scalable PIPER Child Model, and the Ford Explorer 2003 were used to perform the test in the LS DYNA® software to assess the biomechanics involved in the crash scenarios. The approach considered a comparative case study with the baseline of the six-year-old child PIPER model to ensure that the positioning adjustment has not affected the mesh quality and interior components for the PIPER child model. The outcomes obtained in case 1 show that the modified PIPER child model has slight outcomes at the shoulder and pelvis zone due to the differences in the body positioning and not by the mesh or the interior interaction between the components. The outcomes obtained in case 2 reflect that the nearside setup obtained the higher measurements for the child occupant. The for Head at nearside test to overcome the Side Criteria established by the Assessment Protocol Child Occupant Protection by Euro NCAP, the kinematics behavior demonstrates the importance of researching children in side crashes to enhance child security, especially in the oblique pole side impact.
