Improving occupant safety in heavy goods vehicles — Universal energy absorbing system

The aim of the study was the analysis and enhancement of the passive safety of occupants in heavy good vehicles. The paper presents part of the research covering the design and development process of the suspension system improving the safety of the driver. The authors performed the numerical simulation of the crash-test of the conceptual design absorbing substantial part of the energy during the frontal collision of the heavy good vehicle. Special emphasis has been placed on developing the innovative and integral suspension system, enabling the translation of the cabin in the load box direction. The designed structure should maintain the survival space and structural integrity of the occupied area in the vehicle in case of the accident with the vehicle or the obstacle with similar weights and dimensions. The design and the computational model were performed using CAD/CAE systems. The geometry was developed in software for parametric modelling. Strength analysis of the prototype solution was carried out in a computing system using Finite Element Method (FEM).