Tau Tyan

Failure loads of spot welds under combined opening and shear static loading conditions

Failure loads of spot welds are investigated under combined opening and shear static loading conditions. Square-cup specimens were used to obtain the failure loads of mild steel spot welds under a range of combined opening and shear loads. Optical micrographs of the cross-sections of spot welds before and after failure were examined to understand the failure processes under different combinations of loads. The experimental results indicate that under nearly pure opening loads, shear failure occurs in the heat affected zone along the nugget circumferential boundary. Under combined opening and shear loading conditions, necking/shear failure starts near the nugget in the stretching side of the base metal sheet. According to the experimental observations, a simple lower bound limit load analysis is conducted. The results of the lower bound limit load analysis quantitatively agree with those of the experiments. A simple closed-form equation is proposed to characterize the failure loads of spot welds under combined opening and shear static loading conditions. The failure load is expressed as a function of the tensile strength of the base metal, the nugget size, the sheet thickness, the loading angle for characterization of combined loads, and an empirical coefficient for the given welding schedule.

A general failure criterion for spot welds under combined loading conditions

Abstract The circumferential failure mode of spot welds is investigated under combined loading conditions. Failure mechanisms of spot welds under different loading conditions are first examined by the experimental observations and a plane stress finite element analysis. An approximate limit load analysis for spot welds is then conducted to understand the failure loads of spot welds under combinations of resultant forces and resultant moments with consideration of the global equilibrium conditions only. The approximate limit load solution for circumferential failure is expressed in terms of sheet thickness, nugget diameter and combinations of loads. Failure contours are generated for spot welds under opening and shear loading conditions. The results indicate that failure contours become smaller when the ratio of the sheet thickness to the nugget diameter increases. Based on the approximate limit load solution, a general quadratic failure criterion for spot welds under combined three resultant forces and three resultant moments is proposed with correction factors determined by fitting to the experimental results of spot welds under combined loading conditions. The failure criterion can be used to characterize the failure loads of spot welds with consideration of the effects of sheet thickness, nugget diameter and combinations of loads. Experimental spot weld failure loads under combined opening and shear loading conditions and those under combined shear and twisting loading conditions are shown to be characterized well by the proposed failure criterion. Finally, a simplified general failure criterion for spot welds under three resultant forces and three resultant moments is proposed by neglecting the coupling terms of the resultant forces and moments for convenient use of the failure criterion for engineering applications.

Failure loads of spot weld specimens under impact opening and shear loading conditions

Failure loads of spot weld specimens are investigated under impact combined loading conditions. A set of test fixtures was designed and used to obtain failure loads of mild steel spot weld specimens under combined opening and shear loading conditions. Three different impact speeds were applied to examine the effects of separation speed on failure loads. Micrographs of the cross-sections of failed spot welds were obtained to understand the failure processes in mild steel specimens under different impact combined loads. The experimental results indicate that the failure mechanisms of spot welds are very similar for mild steel specimens at various impact speeds. These micrographs show that the sheet thickness can affect the failure mechanisms. For 1.0 mm specimens, the failure occurs near the base metal in a necking/shear failure mode. For 1.5 mm specimens, the failure occurs near the heat-affected zone in a shear failure mode. Based on the experimental results, the effects of the inertia force, the separation speed, and the loading angle on the failure loads of spot welds are investigated. Failure criteria are proposed to characterize the failure loads of spot welds under impact combined opening and shear loads for engineering applications. The failure load can be expressed as a function of the tensile strength of the base metal, the nugget size, the sheet thickness, the maximum separation speed, the loading angle, and empirical coefficients for a given welding schedule.

Modeling and Design for Vehicle Pitch and Drop of Body-on-Frame Vehicles

Vehicle pitch and drop play an important role for occupant neck and head injury at frontal impact. The excessive vehicle header drop, due to vehicle pitch and drop during crash, induces aggressive interaction between occupant head and sun visor/header that causes serious head and neck injuries. For most of body-on-frame vehicles, vehicle pitch and drop have commonly been observed at frontal impact tests. It is because the vehicle body is pulled downward by frame rails, which bend down during crash. Hence, the challenges of frame design are not only to absorb crash energy but also to manage frame deformation for minimizing vehicle pitch and drop. In this paper, the finite element method is used to analyze frame deformation at full frontal impact. To ensure the quality of CAE model, a full vehicle FEA model is correlated to barrier tests. In addition, a study of CAE modeling affecting vehicle header drop is performed. The effective factors for vehicle header drop, identified as mesh size, material strain rate, body mount modeling, and weight distribution, are discussed. Furthermore, the root cause of vehicle pitch and drop and the design countermeasures for resolving this issue are discussed.

Crush Strength of Aluminum 5052-H38 Honeycomb Materials under Combined Compressive and Shear Loads

The crush strength of aluminum 5052-H38 honeycomb materials under combined compressive and shear loads are investigated here. The experimental results indicate that both the peak and crush strengths under combined compressive and shear loads are lower than those under pure compressive loads. A yield function is suggested for honeycomb materials under the combined loads based on a phenomenological plasticity theory. The microscopic crush mechanism under the combined loads is also investigated. A microscopic crush, model based on the experimental observations is developed. The crush model includes the assumptions of the asymmetric location of horizontal plastic hinge line and the ruptures of aluminum cell walls so that the kinematic requirement can be satisfied. In the calculation of the crush strength, two correction factors due to non-associated plastic flow and different rupture modes are considered. The results of the crush model indicate that as the shear stress increases, the crush strength decreases. The increase of shear stress also causes the wavelength of the fold to increase. In addition, the shear displacement of the fold increases as the shear stress increases. The results of the microscopic model give a fair agreement with those of the available experiments.

Optimized AHSS Structures for Vehicle Side Impact

This article reports on a study of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) that are used in the automotive industry to achieve both overall vehicle weight and stringent vehicle crash test performance targets. The authors focus on cross-sections of automobile components, including rocker reinforcement, B-pillar reinforcement, front seat cross-member, roof rail, and door-beams. The authors used vehicle CAE side impact models to evaluate three side impact crash test conditions (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [IIHS] side impact, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] LINCAP and FMVSS 214 side pole) and the IIHS roof strength test condition. They identified several key components affecting the side impact test performance. The authors used HyperStudy® optimization software and LS-DYNA® nonlinear finite element software to determine shape and gauge optimization. Simplified bending crush simulation models were developed and a cross-section optimization was performed for bending crush performance. Finally, a material and gauge optimization was conducted on side structures using dual phase (DP) steels with 590 to 980 MPa minimum tensile strength. The authors determined that the front seat cross-member is a key component that affects the side pole impact; the use of an octagonal cross-section increased the buckling resistance when compared to the rectangular cross-section.

Side crash pressure sensor prediction: an improved corpuscular particle method

In an attempt to predict the responses of side crash pressure sensors, the Corpuscular Particle Method (CPM) was adopted and enhanced in this research. Acceleration-based crash sensors have traditionally been used extensively in automotive industry to determine the air bag firing time in the event of a vehicle accident. The prediction of crash pulses obtained from the acceleration-based crash sensors by using computer simulations has been very challenging due to the high frequency and noisy responses obtained from the sensors, especially those installed in crash zones. As a result, the sensor algorithm developments for acceleration-based sensors are largely based on prototype testing. With the latest advancement in the crash sensor technology, side crash pressure sensors have emerged recently and are gradually replacing acceleration-based sensor for side impact applications. Unlike the acceleration-based crash sensors, the data recorded by the side crash pressure sensors exhibits lower frequency and less noisy responses which is more conductive for CAE prediction.In the attempt to predict the side crash pressure sensor responses, fourteen different benchmark tests were designed and conducted to provide data for model validations. The fourteen benchmark tests can be divided into three sets based on the structure designs. The first set of benchmark tests included a rectangular rigid container with one side being compressed while all other sides were fixed to simulate a piston compression condition. The second set of benchmark tests contained a rigid impactor or a deformable barrier hitting a rectangular steel box with and without a hole. Different speeds were chosen in the second set of benchmark tests to obtain the corresponding pressure responses. The third set of benchmark tests involved a rigid impactor or a deformable barrier hitting a real vehicle side door with different openings. In the baseline door test, the window weather strip and speaker were kept and all holes in door inner were closed to represent a production door. To ensure the robustness of CAE predictions for different door designs, the window weather strip was removed and some holes in the door inner were opened in some of the door benchmark tests. Computer models were created according to the corresponding test conditions.The CPM method originally developed in LS-DYNA to simulate the deployments of side air bags and side air curtains was adopted and improved in this research to predict the responses of the side crash pressure sensors. One of the main purposes of adopting such method in this project is trying to expand the application of the CPM method to problems that do not involve inflators. With major improvements in the CPM method through this research in the past two years, not only the responses of side crash pressure sensor can be predicted but also the computation time required to complete such simulations has been shortened. The development of the modeling methodology to predict the responses of the side crash pressure sensors will also make it possible to use computer simulations as part of side crash sensor development and results in more robust sensor firing algorithm.

Side Crash Pressure Sensor Prediction: An ALE Approach

An Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach was adopted in this study to predict the responses of side crash pressure sensors in an attempt to assist pressure sensor algorithm development by using computer simulations. Acceleration-based crash sensors have traditionally been used to deploy restraint devises (e.g., airbags, air curtains, and seat belts) in vehicle crashes. The crash pulses recorded by acceleration-based crash sensors usually exhibit high frequency and noisy responses depending on the vehicles structural design. As a result, it is very challenging to predict the responses of acceleration-based crash sensors by using computer simulations, especially those installed in crush zones. Therefore, the sensor algorithm developments for acceleration-based sensors are mostly based on physical testing.With the advancement in the crash sensor technology, pressure sensors that detect pressure change in door cavities have been developed recently and production vehicle applications are increasing. The pressure sensors detect pressure change when there is a change in the door volume. Due to the nature of pressure change, the data obtained from side crash pressure sensors exhibits lower frequency and less noisy responses which are quite different from those of the acceleration-based crash sensors. The technology is most promising for side crash applications due to its ability to discriminate crash severities and deploy airbags earlier. The lower frequency and less noisy responses are also more suitable for non-linear finite element codes to predict.To help understand the responses of pressure sensors and obtain reliable test data for model developments, fourteen different benchmark tests were designed and performed in this research. The first set of benchmark tests included a rectangular steel container with one side being compressed while all other sides were fixed to simulate a piston compression condition. The second set of benchmark tests, a series of eight, involved a rigid impactor or a deformable barrier hitting a rectangular steel box with and without a hole. Different speeds were chosen in the second set of component tests to obtain the corresponding responses. The third set of benchmark tests, a series of five, involved a rigid impactor or a deformable barrier hitting a vehicle side door with different openings. Similar to the second set of the benchmark tests; different speeds were chosen to create different crash severities. Computer simulations for all fourteen benchmark tests were conducted by employing the ALE method as one of the studies in this research. The results obtained from the benchmark tests and the computer simulations are presented and discussed in this paper.

Developments and Applications of Structural Optimization and Robustness Methods in Vehicle Impacts

Finite element based full vehicle structural crash simulation is an analysis tool commonly used in automotive industry to evaluate vehicle impact performance. As the simulations are computation intensive, special optimization methods and processes are often required. This paper presents recent developments and applications of structural safety optimization and robustness methods for vehicle crashworthiness. It addresses advanced methods in gauge, size, shape, topology optimization, and robust, reliability-based design optimization methods. Recent applications in vehicle safety design are presented and discussed.Copyright

Effect of Trigger Variation on Frontal Rail Crash Performance

The frontal rail is one of the most important components of a vehicle in determining crash performance, especially for a body on frame vehicle. Prior research [1] has shown that the frontal rail absorbs a significant amount of impact energy in a crash condition. In order to optimize crash performance, a component level sensitivity study was conducted to determine the effect different types of triggers would have on the performance of the frontal rail. The objective of this study is to determine the sensitivity of trigger size, trigger shape, and trigger orientation as well as to improve corresponding trigger modeling methodology by comparing crushed components to crushed CAE models. In this sensitivity study, the location of the triggers was held fixed, while the size, shape, and orientation were varied. The metric that will be used to compare the performance of these different trigger shapes is the overall stiffness of the frontal rail. This sensitivity study indicates that the trigger size has a more significant effect on the crush performance of a frontal rail than those of the trigger shape and trigger orientation. Of the trigger shapes studied, further analysis of Square #1 is recommended. A comparison of CAE simulations to component level tests show that by following a step-by-step process, one can achieve a good correlation.