SIDE IMPACT SIMULATION ON STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS AND OCCUPANT SAFETY

In order to test and classify vehicle safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States issued federal motor vehicle safety standard 214 which specifies the occupant protection required in side impact crashes, whereas the Economic Commission for Europe inland transport committee in Europe proposed the side impact standards with different way. These two-different standards impose the two-way considerations on car-makers, HMC has studied the side impact simulation using explicit finite element program (PAM-CRASH) and super computer (CRAY YMP 4-CPU) which provide efficient tools for evaluating deformations and behaviors of structural components and permit the detailed occupant analyses at early design stages. This paper covers the comparative study of side impacts with different regulations and gives engineering approaches presented in two parts, namely: part 1 is structural optimization concerning structural improvements which are designed to strengthen and stiffen the side structure providing better occupant protection, and part 2 is detailed occupant safety analysis, coupling the vehicle structure and occupant models, where the emphasis is more injury level reduction. (A) For the covering abstract see ITRD E110810.