The Effects of Extendable Hydraulic Dampers on Vehicle Crashworthiness in Various Collision Events

摘要

The aims of this paper are to improve vehicle safety, and to enhance occupant protection performance in both full and offset frontal collisions using a new direction of crashworthiness improvement. For these goals, a smart structure is proposed to support the function of the existing vehicle. The proposed front-end structure consists of two controlled hydraulic cylinders integrated with the longitudinal members. The work carried out includes developing and analyzing mathematical models of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to- rigid barrier collisions. It is proven from simulation studies that the proposed structure minimizes the intrusion of vehicle structure and optimizes the deceleration sustained by the occupant.