This document presents an analysis of crashworthiness and occupant protection focusing on side impacts and frontal crashes involving steel and composite rail structures. It explores the consequences of side impact tests with both poles and moving barriers, highlighting the effectiveness of side airbags and the role of material thickness in crash outcomes. The use of composite materials is recommended for enhancing safety and reducing vehicle weight while minimizing intrusion during frontal impacts.

1. Crashworthiness and Occupant Protection in
Transportation Systems I
ME 8020
Test No.4
SIDE IMPACT and
Effect of frontal crash on Steel and Composite rail
Analysis
Presented By: Suravi Banik (fz4276)

2. Objective
• Side impact test with pole
• Side Impact test with Moving Deformable Barrier
• Steel analysis in rails
• Composite Analysis in rails &
• What if Analysis

3. Side Impact
The National Safety Council reports side-impact crashes, also referred to as
roadside, or T-bone collisions, are second only to head-on collisions in the
number of serious injuries and fatalities they cause each year. During a side-
impact collision, one car hits the other in a perpendicular direction.
The purpose of side impact test is
• To reduce the risk of serious and fatal injury to occupants of passenger cars,
multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses during side impacts.
• To obtain vehicle crashworthiness test data for different types of side impact
tests.

4. Model Description
Car Model Selected:
1. Small SUV; Weight of the truck= 1345 kg
2. Dummy: weight: 79 kg

5. Side Impact with pole (Full model): Vehicle is moving to
the side direction at a velocity 31 mph

6. Consequences after Side Impact with pole
60 ms

7. Side Impact with Pole (animation)

8. Energy plot without dummy (matsum & gstat) [pole]
Kinetic
Energy
Internal
Energy

9. Energy plot with dummy (matsum & gstat) [pole]
Kinetic Energy
Internal Energy

10. Velocity and displacement vs time plot [pole]

11. What if analysis [pole] (1): changing the thickness of door and B-pillar
Originally, thickness of F-OB-DOOR-DRVR-INNER-
SILL-LEFT=1.95 mm;
for what if analysis it is 6 mm
Originally, thickness of F-CH-B-PILL-INNR3 =1.10 mm;
for what if analysis it is 5 mm
Given
Modified
Given
Modified

12. What if Analysis -video[pole]

13. Comparison between main and what if file
[pole]
Main file What if

14. Side Impact Test with Moving Deformable Barrier
The moving Deformable Barrier
strikes stationary vehicle at 90
degrees.
Weight of the deformable
barrier =1500 kg

15. Side Impact with Barrier (Full model)

16. Scenario after the side impact with barrier

17. Side Impact with barrier (animation)

18. Energy plot (matsum & gstat) [side impact with barrier]
Total energy
Kinetic energy
Internal energy
Kinetic energy

19. Velocity and displacement vs time plot [barrier]

20. RAIL of steel in frontal impact:
Some parts like outer rails are taken to analyze instead of full vehicle
considering mass moment of inertia.

21. RAIL of steel in frontal impact (video)

22. After frontal impact with steel materials of rails

23. Energy plot (matsum & gstat) [steel]

24. What if Analysis: changing the thickness of
outer rail (steel)
Original file
Changing the thickness

25. What if Analysis in steel (video)

26. What if Analysis in steel after frontal impact

27. Composite Analysis:
Some parts of rails are changed to composite materials.

28. Composite Analysis

29. Scenario of the rails with composite materials parts after
frontal impact

30. Energy plot (matsum & gstat) [composite]

31. What if composite (changing the angle and thickness of the composite
materials)
Original file
Changing the angle and thickness

32. What if [composite analysis]

33. What if [composite analysis] : scenario after the
frontal impact

34. Conclusion
• Side impact with pole and moving deformable barrier causes more or less injuries to the
occupants whether it has restraint system or not.
• Side airbag also plays an important role to protect the occupants from the side impact
crash.
• The energy plots of both the side impact tests are balanced.
• Changing thickness of door and B-pillar causes a little change of impact but not very
significant.
• From the frontal test with steel materials in rails, we can see that due to frontal crash
intrusion occurs to the occupants which is really dangerous.
• From the composite analysis we can see parts are separated from the rail due to the
frontal crash so that less intrusion occurs.
• Using composite materials rather than steel reduces the weight of the vehicle and
absorbs more energy.
• Using composite is less costly than using steel or aluminum.
• Composite materials are more safe than any other metals.