Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bending crashworthiness of elliptical tubes with different aspect ratio and stiffeners

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lateral car collisions are common scenarios that represent one of the top causes of passenger’s fatalities and injuries. For this purpose, the current article investigates the effect of cross-sectional aspect ratio (\(\beta\)) on the crashworthiness performance of elliptical profiles under lateral loads. For this purpose, structures with different aspect ratios (\(\beta\)) were evaluated. Special emphasis was set on modelling progressive damage by the Johnson–Cook (J-C) failure model for aluminum 6063-T5. The accuracy of our numerical results was determined by experimental validation of a first three-point bending model. From the numerical results, an improvement of energy absorption (Ea) and crushing force efficiency (CFE) is achieved as the aspect ratio (\(\beta )\) increases. In this sense, the best CFE performance (0.728) was obtained for a structure with \(\beta =\) 1.50, which means an improvement of 30.59% of Ea and 9.96% of CFE relative to a circular tube. At this point, the limits for sizing of elliptical profiles in terms of (\(\beta\)) were determined by practical equation. To improve even more the crashworthiness capacity of the elliptical profile with \(\beta =\) 1.50, the use of plates in horizontal, vertical, and combined mode was also explored. As a result, the effectiveness of vertical ribs was demonstrated. The highest CFE performance was obtained for a structure vertically reinforced with three ribs, which allowed a further increase of CFE up to 0.805. Then a final improvement in CFE of 21.60% was computed. Finally, an application of our study to a side sill system is also investigated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23
Fig. 24
Fig. 25

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Information is presented at Sects. 2 and 3.

References

  1. Maria MA, Daniel I, Victor-Costin D, Cornelia S (2018) Lateral impact behavior study of a car door. In: International Congress of Automotive and Transport Engineering. Springer, Cham 52–59

  2. Ferdynus M, Rozylo P, Rogala M (2020) Energy absorption capability of thin-walled prismatic aluminum tubes with spherical indentations. Materials 13(19):4304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Tisza M, Czinege I (2018) Comparative study of the application of steels and aluminium in lightweight production of automotive parts. Int J Lightweight Mater Manuf 1(4):229–238

    Google Scholar 

  4. Long CR, Chung Kim Yuen S, Nurick GN (2019) Analysis of a car door subjected to side pole impact. Lat Am J Solids Struct 16(8):1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Xie ZY (2020) The reinforcement optimization of thin-walled square tubes for bending crashworthiness. Int J Crashworthiness 1–7

  6. Du Z, Duan L, Cheng A, Xu Z, Zhang G (2019) Theoretical prediction and crashworthiness optimization of thin-walled structures with single-box multi-cell section under three-point bending loading. Int J Mech Sci 157–158:703–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Khalkhali A, Miandoabchi E (2020) Experimental investigation into the bending energy absorption of hybrid aluminum/high strength and mild steel thin-walled sections joined by clinching. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part E 1–11

  8. Huang Z, Zhang X, Yang C (2020) Experimental and numerical studies on the bending collapse of multi-cell Aluminum/CFRP hybrid tubes. Compos Part B Eng 181

  9. Beng YK, Dalimin MN, Wahab MA, Lai H (2018) Plastic collapse and energy absorption of empty circular aluminum tube under transverse quasi-static loading. J Mech Sci Technol 32(8):3611–3616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Guo L, Yang S, Jiao H (2013) Behavior of thin-walled circular hollow section tubes subjected to bending. Thin-Walled Struct 73:281–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Estrada Q, Szwedowicz D, Gutierrez-Wing E et al (2019) Energy absorption of single and multi-cell profiles under bending load considering damage evolution. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering 233(8):2120–2138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Shojaeifard MH, Zarei HR, Talebitooti R, Mehdikhanlo M (2012) Bending behavior of empty and foam-filled aluminum tubes with different cross-sections. Acta Mech Solida Sin 25(6):616–626

  13. Li Z, Zheng Z, Yu J, Guo L (2013) Crashworthiness of foam-filled thin-walled circular tubes under dynamic bending. Mater Des 52:1058–1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Thinvongpituk C, Poonaya S, Choksawadee S, Lee M (2008) The ovalisation of thin-walled circular tubes subjected to bending. Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2008(2):2–4

    Google Scholar 

  15. Liu Y, Day M (2008) Bending collapse of thin-walled circular tubes and computational application. Thin-Walled Struct 46:442–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ghadianlou A, Bin AS (2013) Crashworthiness design of vehicle side door beams under low-speed pole side impacts. Thin-Walled Struct 67:25–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. ASTM E8 / E8M-16ae1 (2016) Standard test methods for tension testing of metallic materials, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: ASTM International

  18. Barsoum I, Khan F, Molki A, Seibi A (2014) Modeling of ductile crack propagation in expanded thin-walled 6063–T5 aluminum tubes. Int J Mech Sci 80:160–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Yuan HX, Wang YQ, Chang T, Du XX et al (2015) Local buckling and postbuckling strength of extruded aluminium alloy stub columns with slender I-sections. Thin-Walled Struct 90:140–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhu H, Qin C, Wang JQ, Qi FJ (2011) Characterization and simulation of mechanical behavior of 6063 aluminum alloy thin-walled tubes. Adv Mater Res 197–198:1500–1508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Hibbitt H, Karlsson B, Sorensen P (2011) Abaqus analysis user’s manual version 6.10. Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp. Providence, RI, USA

  22. Hooputra H, Gese H, Dell H, Werner H (2004) A comprehensive failure model for crashworthiness simulation of aluminium extrusions. Int J Crashworthiness 9(5):449–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Su MN, Young B, Gardner L (2015) Continuous beams of aluminum alloy tubular cross sections. I: tests and FE model validation. J Struct Eng 141(9):04014232

  24. Mamalis AG, Manolakos DE, Ioannidis MB, Kostazos PK (2006) Bending of cylindrical steel tubes: numerical modelling. Int J Crashworthiness 11(1):37–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Elchalakani M, Zhao XL, Grzebieta RH (2002) Plastic mechanism analysis of circular tubes under pure bending. Int J Mech Sci 44:1117–1143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Mamalis AG, Varvarigou TA, Litke AO, Manolakos DE et al (2008) Bending of cylindrical steel tubes: numerical simulation using grid computing. Int J Crashworthiness 13(1):109–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Euro NCAP (2011) Pole side impact testing Protocol, Version 5.1

  28. NCAC (2010) Development and validation of a finite element model for the Toyota yaris passenger sedan. George Washington University, Virginia Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, Washington, National Crash Analysis Center, p 2011

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México

    Quirino Estrada

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/CENIDET, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México

    Dariusz Szwedowicz

  3. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, HCM City, Vietnam

    TrongNhan Tran

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Alejandro Rodriguez-Mendez

  5. Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey-ITESM, Campus Santa Fé, Ciudad de México, México

    Milton Elias-Espinosa

  6. Instituto Tecnológico de Tlalnepantla TecNM/ITTLA, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Estado de México, México

    Oscar A. Gómez-Vargas

  7. Tecnológico Nacional de México, Campus Ciudad Guzmán, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México

    Gonzalo Partida-Ochoa

Authors
  1. Quirino Estrada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dariusz Szwedowicz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. TrongNhan Tran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alejandro Rodriguez-Mendez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Milton Elias-Espinosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Oscar A. Gómez-Vargas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gonzalo Partida-Ochoa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization, formal analysis, and article writing were done by Quirino Estrada, numerical simulations by Dariusz Szwedowicz, review of paper by TrongNhan Tran, analysis of numerical simulation by Alejandro Rodriguez-Mendez and Milton Elias-Espinosa, methodology by Oscar A. Gomez-Vargas, and discussion of results by Gonzalo Partida-Ochoa.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Quirino Estrada.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

The authors give permission for the publishing of this article.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Estrada, Q., Szwedowicz, D., Tran, T. et al. Bending crashworthiness of elliptical tubes with different aspect ratio and stiffeners. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 120, 6661–6680 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09187-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09187-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation