Subsystem optimization of the vehicle structure for a frontal crash

Designing vehicles for crash is difficult due to non-linear mechanical behavior, many degrees of freedom, lack of information and boundary conditions that change over the course of the development process. In addition, design work is distributed over several departments and requirements from other disciplines, such as acoustics or vehicle dynamics, have to be satis-fied. In the approach presented here, the vehicle structure is subdivided into separate com-ponents. Using particular stochastic simulation techniques, design goals for structural com-ponents are derived from vehicle design goals and expressed as permissible intervals or corridors for the component performances. Reaching all component design goals ensures that the vehicle system reaches its goals. Structural components may now be optimized in-dependently of the surrounding structure. The objective is to arrive in the middle of the corri-dors for best robustness, while keeping weight and cost low. As component design goals are expressed as intervals providing a certain tolerance, design with respect to requirements from other disciplines is possible. Component design goals may be reached by varying the topology, shape or sheet thickness of structural members. Using appropriate parametric geometry models and automatic FE mesh generation, solutions may be generated by numerical optimization. As an example, the front rail of a vehicle is optimized for the USNCAP frontal crash.     «

Designing vehicles for crash is difficult due to non-linear mechanical behavior, many degrees of freedom, lack of information and boundary conditions that change over the course of the development process. In addition, design work is distributed over several departments and requirements from other disciplines, such as acoustics or vehicle dynamics, have to be satis-fied. In the approach presented here, the vehicle structure is subdivided into separate com-ponents. Using particular stochastic sim...     »