This study has proposed a novel adaptive energy-absorbing (EA) steering column component for minimizing the risk of driver injury in frontal impact collisions. The component consists of a four-segment hollow cylinder patterned with an array of hole openings and is designed to be installed axially within the shaft of telescopic-type steering-wheel columns. In the event of a frontal collision, the EA device buckles progressively under the effect of the contact force transmitted from the occupant to the steering wheel. As a result, the impact kinetic energy is transformed into strain energy within the load-carrying member and work done in overcoming the sliding friction at the wall. Consequently, the force acting on the occupant is significantly reduced, thereby minimizing the risk of chest injury. The feasibility of the proposed device was investigated by performing numerical simulations using a finite element (FE) model of the steering-wheel-steering-column assembly. The validity of the numerical model was confirmed by comparing the numerical results obtained for the torso force profile over the course of the impact with the experimental results obtained in two standard body block tests. The maximum discrepancy between the two sets of results was found to be just 6 %. Having validated the numerical model, a further series of simulated body block impact tests were performed using body block weights of 24 kg and 34 kg, respectively, in order to determine the effects of the hole-opening pattern, the cylinder material, and the cylinder thickness on the energy absorption performance of the adaptive EA device. The results showed that, given an appropriate specification of the design parameters (namely, a larger total hole-opening area, a lower Young's modulus, and a thinner wall thickness), the proposed adaptive EA device not only satisfied the Federal Motor Vehicle Standards (FMVSS) 203 maximum load requirement of 11.2 kN for both body block weights, but also achieved an adaptive energy absorption capability, namely, 163 J for a low-weight (24 kp = 235.36 N) body block and 235 J for a high-weight (34 kp = 333,43 N) body block.


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    Titel :

    Numerical study of a novel built-in energy-absorbing component for adaptive steering columns


    Weitere Titelangaben:

    Numerische Untersuchung einer neuen energieabsorbierenden Einbau-Komponente für adaptive Lenksäulen


    Beteiligte:
    Liu, D.S. (Autor:in) / Tu, C.Y. (Autor:in) / Fan, C.M. (Autor:in) / Yeh, S.S. (Autor:in) / Wang, W.F. (Autor:in) / Hsieh, C.L. (Autor:in)


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2010


    Format / Umfang :

    15 Seiten, 18 Bilder, 8 Tabellen, 25 Quellen




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Print


    Sprache :

    Englisch