Finite Element Analysis and Shape Optimization of Aluminum Alloy Automobile Energy-Absorbing Components

In the present work, the structure optimum design and simulation analysis of aluminum alloy automobile energy-absorbing components was carried out by using Finite Element (FE) method. The numerical simulations were carried out using the software LS-DYNA. Automobile energy-absorbing components usually was made a mental thin walled tube. In the paper, the tube was adopted aluminum alloy material. The FE model of the tube was validated by comparing the theoretical results and FE model results. The good correlation of results obtained show that the numerical analyses are reliable. Attention was focused upon finding an optimum cross- section shape of the tube in order to improve the crashworthiness. Several types of cross- section were studied and compared. Results show that the crashworthiness of the tube improved obviously when square cross section with the grooves was adopted.