Purpose The aim of this work is to explain the work of Design Methods’ research group of Dept. of Mechanical Engineering of Salerno University, in the field of research regarding vehicles pedestrian safety problem, taking care to finite element methods and models used and developed for vehicle design and optimization. Design/methodology/approach Our developed models show a very good Numeric/Experimental correlation, and we’ve numerically certified our virtual impactors, designed following EEVC-WG17 specification. These impactors have been tested also at higher speed and we have obtained a good correlation with some problems because of the critical behavior of the foam solved following different model-design optimization methods. Findings Best results obtained and explained in this paper are concerning impactors modeling and certification, and Experimental/Numerical correlation of full impact tests. Research limitations/implications The achievement of the maximum possible pedestrian safety performance, compatibly with the others, sometimes conflicting, performances, is one of the main objectives to reach, for the automotive industry by now and, above all, for the future. Practical implications According to a surveying by European Community research committee, the risk of die for pedestrians and cyclists because of street incidents is eight/nine times higher than one of the occupants of motor vehicles. From statistics we’ve found that the greatest part of these accidents is due to the collision of the pedestrian on the front part of motor vehicles, and that fact affects the considerations on the passive safety. Originality/value The most Important Automotive industries had understood the impact of new regulations about homologation and began to study the problem and particularly how to introduce new Homologation parameters in their Product development cycles, today based on Virtual Prototyping of the Whole Vehicle and final Physical testing of few physical prototypes. Keywords: Impactors’ modelling; Simulation methodology; Design methodology; Pedestrian safety.
State of the art of the passive pedestrian safety simulation
CAPPETTI, Nicola;NADDEO, ALESSANDRO;PAPPALARDO, Michele
2008
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this work is to explain the work of Design Methods’ research group of Dept. of Mechanical Engineering of Salerno University, in the field of research regarding vehicles pedestrian safety problem, taking care to finite element methods and models used and developed for vehicle design and optimization. Design/methodology/approach Our developed models show a very good Numeric/Experimental correlation, and we’ve numerically certified our virtual impactors, designed following EEVC-WG17 specification. These impactors have been tested also at higher speed and we have obtained a good correlation with some problems because of the critical behavior of the foam solved following different model-design optimization methods. Findings Best results obtained and explained in this paper are concerning impactors modeling and certification, and Experimental/Numerical correlation of full impact tests. Research limitations/implications The achievement of the maximum possible pedestrian safety performance, compatibly with the others, sometimes conflicting, performances, is one of the main objectives to reach, for the automotive industry by now and, above all, for the future. Practical implications According to a surveying by European Community research committee, the risk of die for pedestrians and cyclists because of street incidents is eight/nine times higher than one of the occupants of motor vehicles. From statistics we’ve found that the greatest part of these accidents is due to the collision of the pedestrian on the front part of motor vehicles, and that fact affects the considerations on the passive safety. Originality/value The most Important Automotive industries had understood the impact of new regulations about homologation and began to study the problem and particularly how to introduce new Homologation parameters in their Product development cycles, today based on Virtual Prototyping of the Whole Vehicle and final Physical testing of few physical prototypes. Keywords: Impactors’ modelling; Simulation methodology; Design methodology; Pedestrian safety.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
