Heiko Johannsen

Proposal for a frontal impact and compatibility assessment approach based on the European FIMCAR Project

Objective: To improve vehicle safety in frontal collisions, the crash compatibility between the colliding vehicles is crucial. Compatibility aims to improve both the self and partner protection properties of vehicles. Although compatibility has received worldwide attention for many years, no final assessment approach has been defined. Methods: Within the Frontal Impact and Compatibility Assessment Research (FIMCAR) project, different frontal impact test procedures (offset deformable barrier [ODB] test as currently used for Economic Commission for Europe [ECE] R94, progressive deformable barrier test as proposed by France for a new ECE regulation, moveable deformable barrier test as discussed worldwide, full-width rigid barrier test as used in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard [FMVSS] 208, and full-width deformable barrier test) were analyzed regarding their potential for future frontal impact legislation. The research activities focused on car-to-car frontal impact accidents based on accident investigations involving newer cars. Test procedures were developed with both a crash test program and numerical simulations. Results: The proposal from FIMCAR is to use a full-width test procedure with a deformable element and compatibility metrics in combination with the current offset test as a frontal impact assessment approach that also addresses compatibility. Conclusions: By adding a full-width test to the current ODB test it is possible to better address the issues of structural misalignment and injuries resulting from high acceleration accidents as observed in the current fleet. The estimated benefit ranges from a 5 to 12 percent reduction of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from frontal impact accidents. By using a deformable element in the full-width test, the test conditions are more representative of real-world situations with respect to acceleration pulse, restraint system triggering time, and deformation pattern of the front structure. The test results are therefore expected to better represent real-world performance of the tested car. Furthermore, the assessment of the structural alignment is more robust than in the rigid wall test. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publishers online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.

Development of compatibility assessments for full-width and offset frontal impact test procedures in FIMCAR

The goal of the project FIMCAR (Frontal Impact and Compatibility Assessment Research) was to define an integrated set of test procedures and associated metrics to assess a vehicles frontal impact protection, which includes self- and partner-protection. For the development of the set, two different full-width tests (full-width deformable barrier [FWDB] test, full-width rigid barrier test) and three different offset tests (offset deformable barrier [ODB] test, progressive deformable barrier [PDB] test, moveable deformable barrier with the PDB barrier face [MPDB] test) have been investigated. Different compatibility assessment procedures were analysed and metrics for assessing structural interaction (structural alignment, vertical and horizontal load spreading) as well as several promising metrics for the PDB/MPDB barrier were developed. The final assessment approach consists of a combination of the most suitable full-width and offset tests. For the full-width test (FWDB), a metric was developed to address structural alignment based on load cell wall information in the first 40 ms of the test. For the offset test (ODB), the existing ECE R94 was chosen. Within the paper, an overview of the final assessment approach for the frontal impact test procedures and their development is given.

CLEVER – Ein Kleinfahrzeug für den urbanen Gebrauch

Der motorisierte Individualverkehr ist aus unserem Leben nicht mehr wegzudenken. Er ermoglicht ein Mas von personlicher Mobilitat, das es nie zuvor gegeben hat. Aber diese Entwicklung bringt auch unerwunschte Nebenwirkungen mit sich. Sie unterscheiden sich in ihren Auspragungen je nach Umgebung. In der Stadt – oder etwas allgemeiner in urbanen Gebieten – kann der Platzbedarf des fliesenden und des ruhenden Verkehrs nicht uberall befriedigt werden. Mancherorts soll die historisch gewachsene Stadtstruktur nicht durch Bauten zu Gunsten des Strasenverkehrs verandert werden. Ein Fahrzeug, das uberwiegend fur den urbanen Gebrauch vorgesehen ist, muss diesen Anforderungen in besonderes Weise Rechnung tragen. Naturlich sollen auch die lokal wirksamen Emissionen wie Kohlenmonoxid (CO),Stickstoffoxide (NO,NO2 ,haufig gemeinsam mit NOx bezeichnet) und unverbrannte Kohlenwasserstoffe (HC) auf ein besonders niedriges Niveau begrenzt werden.Hinzu kommen Anforderungen an die aktive und passive Sicherheit, die fur jedem modernen Pkw gelten, die aber bei einem besonders kleinen und leichten Fahrzeug nicht leicht erfullt werden konnen. Der Stadtverkehr tragt auch zur Freisetzung von fossilem Kohlenstoff und damit zum Treibhauseffekt bei; der Reduzierung der CO2-Emissionen kommt daher ebenfalls Bedeutung zu. In der Summe entsteht ein Anforderungsprofil, das nicht leicht zu erfullen ist.