Rigid Wall Force Summary in Vehicle Crash Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer-aided engineering methods cannot provide detailed spatial distribution of rigid wall force in vehicle collisions with a rigid wall, limiting the ability to determine how each vehicle structural component contributes to the total force, which is crucial for design and modification.
Innovation Solution
A computerized finite element analysis model of a vehicle and rigid wall is used to calculate contribution weighting factors for nodes, allowing for a detailed breakdown of force contributions from each vehicle part to specific segments of the rigid wall during a time-marching simulation, by summing nodal force contributions modified with weighting factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a total rigid wall force summary is provided in numerical simulation, then the simulation can be completed efficiently, but detailed spatial distribution of force and contribution from each vehicle component cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid wall is divided into multiple segments, each corresponding to a load cell location. The simulation calculates force contributions separately for each segment, enabling spatial distribution analysis. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simulation efficiency while providing detailed force distribution information across different wall locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates the force contribution from each vehicle component by calculating individual component forces and then summing them to get the total rigid wall force. This extraction process enables users to identify which specific components contribute most to the overall force, providing detailed information without requiring a completely separate simulation for each component.
2Loss of information
If physical prototype crash tests with multiple load cells are conducted, then spatial force distribution can be determined, but detailed contribution from each vehicle structural component cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the crash test environment through numerical simulation, replicating the rigid wall with multiple segments and applying the same measurement methodology. This virtual copying allows detailed component-level analysis to be obtained without the complexity of instrumenting each vehicle component with sensors in physical tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical measurement system (physical load cells attached to vehicle components) with a computational approach. The simulation automatically calculates force contributions from each component through finite element analysis, eliminating the need for complex physical instrumentation while providing equivalent or superior measurement capability.
3Measurement precision
If detailed breakdown of force contributions from each vehicle part is calculated, then design insights are enhanced, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-defining the rigid wall segments and establishing the relationship between vehicle components and wall segments before the simulation runs. This preliminary setup enables the simulation to efficiently calculate detailed force contributions during execution, as the computational framework is already in place to handle the detailed breakdown without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A finite element analysis (FEA) model of a vehicle and a rigid wall definition are received. The FEA model comprises a number of nodes connected by finite elements that are organized in groups. The rigid wall comprises one or more segments each corresponding to a load cell installed thereon. A list of groups that are desired to have a detailed rigid wall force (RWF) summary is defined by user. A contribution weighting factor is calculated for each node in the FEA model. A time-marching simulation of the vehicle colliding with the rigid wall is conducted. At each solution cycle, a nodal force contribution is calculated for each node according to node type. The calculated nodal force contribution modified with the contribution weighting factor is accumulated in the detail RWF summary under respective groups and segments. A full detailed RWF summary is presented.