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Vehicles Frontal Impact Analysis Using Computer Simulation and Crash Test

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Abstract

Reconstruction of car accidents is a complex task, with many unknown variables. Among the parameters used to assess the accident severity, in case of a frontal collision between two vehicles, are the change in velocity (delta-v) and the Energy Equivalent Speed (EES). The EES is usually determined based on the deformations. Delta-v can be obtained from the crash pulse recorded with Event Data Recorders, or with crash loggers based on accelerometers, in case of crash tests. In this paper is presented a full scale crash test that involves two vehicles in a frontal collision. The results are obtained using different analysis methods: direct application of a model, processing the measured crash pulse, and computer simulation.

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Abbreviations

EES:

energy equivalent speed, m/s

S :

momentum, kg·m/s

S ix, y :

momentum of vehicle i, in direction x or y

m ix, y :

mass of vehicle i, direction x/y, kg

v ix, y :

velocity of vehicle i, direction x/y, before impact, m/s

v′ix, y :

velocity of vehicle i, direction x/y, after impact, m/s

SR:

speed ratio

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Automotive and Transport Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 500036, Romania

    Dragos Sorin Dima & Dinu Covaciu

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  1. Dragos Sorin Dima
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  2. Dinu Covaciu
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Correspondence to Dragos Sorin Dima.

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Dima, D.S., Covaciu, D. Vehicles Frontal Impact Analysis Using Computer Simulation and Crash Test. Int.J Automot. Technol. 20, 655–661 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12239-019-0062-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12239-019-0062-3

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