Abstract

Aluminum foams have recently received special attention due to their peculiar mechanical properties. For example, their energy absorption capacity in crash events and low density are very desirable characteristics for several applications. Actually, the energy absorption of aluminum foams is even magnified when they interact with aluminum tubes or when tubes are filled with aluminum foams. Since the automotive industry constantly demands light materials with high strain energy absorption capacity to reduce fuel consumption and fulfill safety requirements, aluminum foams are an excellent alternative to satisfy such demands. This work shows, by numerical simulations of reduced and full vehicle models, the usefulness of aluminum foams incorporated in a car structure when subjected to “35 mph Frontal Barrier Impact Test”, according to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No 208 (FMVSS). Foam was used to dramatically improve load capacity and crush displacement. Thus, dash panel intrusions and acceleration gradient were reduced, increasing the vehicle safety performance. Finally, it is shown that foams can be beneficial in electric vehicle development by increasing load capacity.

摘要

泡沫铝由于其特殊的机械性能最近受到特别关注。例如，它们在碰撞事件中的能量吸收能力和低密度是多种应用非常理想的特性。实际上，当泡沫铝与铝管相互作用或管内填充泡沫铝时，泡沫铝的能量吸收甚至会被放大。由于汽车行业不断需要具有高应变能吸收能力的轻质材料来降低油耗并满足安全要求，因此泡沫铝是满足此类需求的绝佳替代品。这项工作通过对简化和完整车辆模型的数值模拟表明，在进行“35 英里/小时的正面障碍物冲击测试”时，泡沫铝在汽车结构中的有用性，根据第 208 号联邦机动车辆安全标准 (FMVSS)。泡沫被用来显着提高负载能力和挤压位移。因此，减少了仪表板侵入和加速梯度，提高了车辆的安全性能。最后，结果表明，泡沫可以通过增加负载能力而有益于电动汽车的开发。