The automotive industry has always been competitive, but it is becoming ever more so as manufacturers strive to outdo each other with the latest features and technology. Everyone wants to be the first to debut something novel, and that means that speed is key in the development of a new product. The earliest stages of development are critical; issues in the design of a vehicle must be addressed as soon as possible in order to prevent costly and time-consuming redesigns in later stages.
Because of the nature of conceptual design, which needs to assess performance with respect to the design changes, a faster running model is required. Unlike durability or noise and vibration (N&V), crashworthiness simulation tends to take much longer computation time. Hence, a different model is necessary to shorten the time.
Several attempts have been made to shorten crash simulation, including the incorporation of a method known as the lumped mass-spring method. This method has not been widely accepted, as it includes numerous difficulties in modeling and replicating the existing structure. Physical or Finite Element tests are required for all structural components in order to obtain the spring properties, and it is then difficult to convert the optimized spring properties into the real design of the structural components.
A paper, authored by SIMULIA’s Yangwook Choi, Shawn Freeman and Fabien Letailleur, takes a closer look at the lumped mass-spring method. The paper presents a “reversed” workflow for using the lumped mass-spring method and parametric optimization to overcome the difficulties. The workflow is used to construct a structure with a well-balanced load path, and to find the proper component geometry easily with RSM approach. Entitled “Constructing a Concept Vehicle Structure Optimized for Crashworthiness,” the paper is being published by SAE International and can currently be pre-ordered here.
For more information about Realistic Simulation for the Automotive Industry, and specifically about Crashworthiness, visit our dedicated page.