A comparative analysis and optimization of an automotive front bumper system using explicit finite elements method for high-velocity frontal impact

Abstract

The development process of bumper systems in the automotive industry benefits from the utilization of Finite Element simulations to visualize and understand the crash performance of selected models during impact. Crash performance is typically verified under low-speed or high-speed impacts of crash scenarios while abiding by accepted standards intending to improve cargo and occupant safety. In order to analyze the viability of a model, several parameters are calculated based on impact data to determine the crashworthiness of the system, mainly Crash Force Efficiency (CFE) and Peak Crushing Force (PCF). Within the current thesis, a methodology for identifying such parameters and properties is presented based on the Johnson-Cook plasticity model. The following work focuses on analyzing and enhancing such bumper systems under a 50 km/hr impact based on the EuroNCAP standard, limited to direct frontal impact. Explicit dynamic analysis was conducted on four structurally identical models of different material selections and one model employing generative design, a novel approach to topology optimization. Simulation results later determined each model’s crashworthiness to conclude a 15% increase in crashworthiness based on material selection under consistent conditions.