IMPROVEMENT OF ENERGY ABSORPTION OF THIN WALLED HEXAGONAL TUBE MADE OF MAGNESIUM ALLOY BY USING TRIGGER MECHANISMS

This paper describes potentially the using of magne sium alloy as an energy longitudinal member used in crashworthiness applications. Since magnesium alloys are lighter we ight material, they are preferred to use to decreas e the environmental pollution and fuel consumptions. Non-linear finite element wa s used to simulate the crash behaviour of the thin walled hexagonal tube. The tube was subjected to both direct and oblique loading. T rigger mechanism was applied in this study. The aim of using trigger is to decrease the initial peak load and to enhance the energy abs orption capability of the tube and also crash force efficiency. Three trigger geometries have been applied circular, rectangular and elliptical geometry. Three type of trigger dist ribution already have been studied. The positions and the size of triggers are also investigated. It was found that the 10% per creductions with elliptical trigger revealed the best choice; it shows enhancin g in energy absorption and CFE about10 per cent and decreasing in peak force by 10 per cent too.