The paper presents the results of a numerical parametric study on the factors affecting passenger safety in a motorcoach frontal collision. The study is performed using the numerical model of the motorcoach sled test validated by the experimental data. The numerical model implements the rigid-body dynamics approach coupled with the finite-stiffness joints and deformable finite-element models of dummies. Three factors are parametrically studied: seating and restraint layout, seat stiffness and the shape of the input acceleration pulse. The positive effect of the seatbelt is demonstrated; the head injury criterion values for belted passenger do not exceed the safety limit for all considered seating layouts. The most dangerous seating layout is found to be the 50th percentile occupant with a 95th unbelted occupant sitting behind. Seat stiffness variation studies have shown the positive effect of plastic deformation in the seat structure. By varying the shape of the input acceleration pulse, the probability of a head injury is demonstrated to increase with the increase in the duration of maximum acceleration and time of its occurrence.
Numerical parametric study on factors affecting passenger safety in motorcoach frontal collision
International Journal of Crashworthiness ; 22 , 2 ; 214-226
2017-03-04
13 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
NTIS | 2009
Engineering Index Backfile | 1928
Engineering Index Backfile | 1928
Engineering Index Backfile | 1928
|