Numerical analysis of energy absorption behaviour of circular profiles with plates under lateral loads

¹ Instituto de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México
² Centro Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico (CENIDET), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

^* Corresponding author: quirino.estrada@uacj.mx

Abstract

The study of bending behaviour of thin-walled structures has gained importance since lateral impact is the second most common scenario in automobile crashes. The current paper analyses an effect of partition plates on energy absorption (E_a) of circular profiles under lateral loads. For this purpose, several numerical analyses using Abaqus/Explicit finite element software were carried out. The evaluated specimens have circular cross-sections reinforced by different arrangement of partition plates. In order to get reliable outcome, special emphasis was placed on damage modelling by Johnson-Cook failure model for aluminium. From the results considering a single profile, better E_a was registered for structures with plates in a range from 6% to 34%. Reduction in peak load (P_max) up to 13% and an increase in crush force efficiency (CFE) in 14.86% was also computed. Regarding profiles with plates, it was determined that crashworthiness performance depends on an arrangement of plates on the cross-section more than their thickness and number. Better performance was obtained when the circular cross-section was reinforced in the longitudinal and transversal direction by 4 plates.