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Idoc - Pub - Design and Analysis of Car Bumper PDF
Idoc - Pub - Design and Analysis of Car Bumper PDF
The project focuses on the design and stress analysis of a car frontal protection system
(Bumper) simulations. To achieve that, we go to basic concepts of improving the safety on the
car by do analysis the car bumper. It is important to know their mechanical properties, how their
failure mechanism during the impact. This analysis was carrying out by using commercial Finite
Elements software (ALGOR) to evaluate the behavior of bumper system. Another additional
innovative for improving crashworthiness is the use of material to produces the part to absorb
Energy during the process of a crash. Research concentrates on polymer composite material. It is
considering their function, geometry, and other parameters that influence the compatibility of the
bumper. In future research, this bumper will face the static test and analyses do on their load
distributions by applying the variation of load and locations. Result will be compare for the
centre and side load. How the load applied effect the stress distribution. After that a related study
was carried out to know bumper properties during the impact. Bumpers play an important role in
preventing theimpact energy from being transferred to the automobile and passengers. Saving the
impact energy in the bumper to be released in the environment reduces the damages of the
automobile and passengers
Bumper car
It is the generic name for a type of flat ride consisting of several small electric cars which draw
power from the floor and/or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator].
They are also known as bumping cars, dashing cars, dodgem cars, or simply dodgems, the
last name being the usual term in British English.
Design
The oldest and most common method uses a conductive floor and ceiling, each with a
separate power polarity. Contacts under the vehicle touch the floor while a pole mounted
contact touches the ceiling, forming a complete circuit.
newer method uses alternating strips of metal across the floor separated by insulating
spacers, and no ceiling grid. The alternating strips carry the supply current, and the
bumper cars are large enough so that the vehicle body can always cover at least two strips
at any one time. An array of brushes under the car make random contact with whatever
strip is below, and the voltage polarity on each contact is sorted out to always provide a
correct and complete circuit to operate the vehicle.
The metal floor is usually set up as a rectangular or oval track, and graphite is sprinkled
on the floor to decrease friction. A rubber bumper surrounds each vehicle, and drivers
ram each other as they travel. The controls are usually an accelerator and a steering
wheel.
The car necessary in the frequent pile-ups that occur. Most carnivals and amusement
parks require riders to be at least 42 inches or taller to ride and 52 inches (1.3 m) or taller
to drive the cars.
Although the idea of the ride is to bump other cars, safety-conscious (or at least litigation-
conscious) owners often put up signs reading "This way around" and "No bumping." Depending
on the level of enforcement by operators, these rules are often ignored by bumper car riders,
especially younger children.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Because of these limitations, the fatality rate increases dramatically in high speed
impacts. In order to design a successful lightweight vehicle and significantly improve the crash
performance of current cars, technological development is still needed. If the automotive body
could extend its front end during or right before a crash, the mechanism of absorbing the crash
energy would be totally different from that of the passive structure. During a frontal crash, the
front side member is expected to fold progressively, so as to absorb more energy and to ensure
enough passenger space. To do so, various cross sections and shapes have been investigated for
the front rail of the automotive body to maximize crashworthiness and weight efficiency; their
design included reinforcing the cross-section.
For several decades, bumper design has focused on material and structure. Anderson et
al. (2002) [5] investigated the applicability of stainless steel for crash-absorbing bumpers to
increase crash performance in automotive vehicles. Butler (2002) [6] studied the design of
efficient epoxy structural foam reinforcements to increase the 9 energy absorbed in front and rear
automotive bumper beams. Carley (2004) [7] introduced Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) foam
technologies and techniques for bumper systems. Cheon et al. (1995) [8] developed a new
composite bumper that has two pads at each end of the bumper. Evans and Morgan (1999) [9]
studied thermoplastic energy absorbers for bumpers.
Figure 2: Automotive bumper system component
II.BUMPER MODEL DESIGN
There are several models and systems for bumpers ofpassenger cars [15]. Traditional
models have corrugated open section areas for installing some car elements and
increasingbending strength of the bumper. Main parts of theconventional bumper systems are
depicted in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 Configuration of common bumper type
1. Fascia: bumper fascias must be aerodynamic, lightweight and aesthetically pleasing to the
consumer. Usuallyfascias are made of polypropylene, polyurethane orpolycarbonate.
2. Energy absorbers: energy absorbers are designed to absorb a portion of the kinetic energy
From vehicle collision.Its types include foam, honeycomb and mechanical ones.
However mechanical absorbers have several times the weightof foam and honey comb
Absorber, they receive limited usage.
3. Reinforcing beam: this part is a key component of thebumper and helps absorb the kinetic
energy and provideprotection to the rest of the vehicle. The designed bumper in this
research is a combination ofthese element. In other words, in low-speed contacts, the
kinetic energy of impact or is absorbed by changing the impactforce direction by the
spring system (as mechanical energy absorbers) and in high speed contacts it is absorbed
bydeformation of conic composite cells of the bumper (asreinforcing beam).The main
elements of this bumper are as follows (see Fig.
1. Front rubber tape: that is composed of polypropylene(PEP) for damping of poor
Contacts.
2. Fascia: it indicates the aerodynamic form of the bumper
3. Spring system: it contains 26 vertical springs forconverting the kinetic energy to the
spring potential energy, In addition to 4 horizontal springs for connecting the fascia tobase
plate.
4. Conics and base plate: they are main elements of thebumper for energy absorbing in high
speed contacts (i.e. reinforcing beam).
5. Connecting plastic parts: two propylene (PEP) parts thatconnect the bumper base plate to
the car.
So, it absorbs kinetic energy in the form of spring potentialenergy. Also, two small areas
Between the cover edge and themiddle part of the cover have designed with thinner thicknesses
(i.e. there are two lateral notch at the top andbottom corners of the cover), which guarantee
easier deformation rather than the other parts of the cover, so, the cover edges movements
mechanism is completely predictedand in control. For high speed contacts, the cover reaches the
conics and they deforms as a composed part. There is aconcavity in the cover where the plastic
tape seats on andincreases the bending strength of the bumper.
Fig. 3 section view of bumper – cover and spring movement during
Frontal impact
INTRODUCTION TO PRO-E
INTRODUCTION TO CAD
The computer has grown to be essential in the operations of business, government, the military,
engineering, and research. It also demonstrated itself, especially in recent years, to be very
powerful tool in design and manufacturing . Modern computers systems are based on interactive
computer graphics (ICG). Interactive computer graphics denote a user-oriented system in which
the computer is employed to create, transform, and display data in the form of pictures and
symbols. The user in the computer graphics design system in the designer, who communicates
data and commands to the computer through and several input devices. It is important to note
that ICG system is one main component of computer-aided design system, the other major
component is human designer.
The evolution of computer-aided design has been largely related to developments in
computer graphics. ICG forms the essential technological foundation for computer-aided design.
One of the significant initial projects in the area of computer graphics was the development of
the APT language. APT is the acronym of Automatically Programmed Tools.Before examining
the several facts of computer-aided design. Let us first consider the general design process. The
process of designing something is characterized as an iterative procedure, which consists of six
identifiable steps of phases.
1) Recognition of need
2) Definition of problem
3) Synthesis
4) Analysis and Optimization
5) Evaluation
6) Presentation
Created by Dr. Samuel P. Geisberg in the mid-1980s, Pro/ENGINEER was the industry's
first successful rule-based constraint (sometimes called "parametric" or "variational") 3D CAD
modeling system. The parametric modeling approach uses parameters, dimensions, features, and
relationships to capture intended product behavior and create a recipe which enables design
automation and the optimization of design and product development processes. This design
approach is used by companies whose product strategy is family-based or platform-driven, where
a prescriptive design strategy is fundamental to the success of the design process by embedding
engineering constraints and relationships to quickly optimize the design, or where the resulting
geometry may be complex or based upon equations. Creo Elements/Pro provides a complete set
of design, analysis and manufacturing capabilities on one, integral, scalable platform. These
required capabilities include Solid Modeling, Surfacing, Rendering, Data Interoperability,
Routed Systems Design, Simulation, Tolerance Analysis, and NC and Tooling Design.
Companies use Creo Elements/Pro to create a complete 3D digital model of their products. The
models consist of 2D and 3D solid model data which can also be used downstream in finite
element analysis, rapid prototyping, tooling design, and CNC manufacturing. All data is
associative and interchangeable between the CAD, CAE and CAM modules without conversion.
A product and its entire bill of materials (BOM) can be modeled accurately with fully associative
engineering drawings, and revision control information. The associativity functionality in Creo
Elements/Pro enables users to make changes in the design at any time during the product
development process and automatically update downstream deliverables. This capability enables
concurrent engineering — design, analysis and manufacturing engineers working in parallel —
and streamlines product development processes.
Engineering Design
Creo Elements/Pro offers a range of tools to enable the generation of a complete digital
representation of the product being designed. In addition to the general geometry tools there is
also the ability to generate geometry of other integrated design disciplines such as industrial and
standard pipe work and complete wiring definitions. Tools are also available to support
collaborative development.
A number of concept design tools that provide up-front Industrial Design concepts can then be
used in the downstream process of engineering the product. These range from conceptual
Industrial design sketches, reverse engineering with point cloud data and comprehensive free-
form surface tools.
SKETCH USED IN MAKING CAR BUMPER
Explicit method is a fast method for short time problems, complicated contact and impact
Problems and multiple nonlinearities large deformations (Dynamic & quasi static) inLS-Dyna.
The PRO E 5.0 of the bumper model was imported to LS-Dyna Anys8.0. Then, meshing has
created on a 3D model. Since the average thickness of the cover, conics and base plate is much
smaller than the other dimensions of the part, the best element for meshing was the shell element
(Shell163). Membrane Blystchstchko-Tsy method was used for solution. (it is a fast method for
membrane problems andcomposite material with corrugated surface). Solid 164elements were
used for imp actor, plastic parts and plastic front rubber meshing.Theimpactor as a steel structure
was modeled by isotropicrigid pyramid solid impact elements. Spring-damper element (Combi
165) was used for spring system modeling. Each plastic part is attached to the car body by
screws at fourpoints. Hence, on the model, one-eighth of the car weight was attached to each
screwed node as a point mass element (Mass166).
There is no external force on the elements and no frictionwas assumed between the imp
actor and the bumper surfaces and the car was taken to be laying on a flat and frictionless
surface and all other conditions were drawing from American Traffic Safety Administration (49
CFR. Part 581, BumperStandard). All degrees of freedoms of the corresponding nodes on the
bumper, plastic parts and plastic tape (screwpoints) were coupled Andmerged.Finally meshing of
different parts of the bumper with adequate numbers of elements Have done by Mapped
method.FEM specifications and element types used for the main parts
Of the bumper are tabulated in Table 1 and Fig. 4:
Introduction to ANSYS
Starting ANSYS:
The ANSYS graphical user interface can be started by selecting the ANSYS icon located in the ANSYS
8.1 folder.
Selecting the ANSYS icon will take you directly to the graphical user interface.
ANSYS Graphical User Interface:
After starting ANSYS, two windows will appear. The first is the ANSYS 8.1 Output Window:
This window displays a listing of every command that ANSYS executes. If you encounter
problems, this is a good place to look to see what ANSYS is doing or has done. This is one
location where you will find all of the warnings and error messages that appear and the command
that generated the warning/error. The second window is the ANSYS ResearchFS graphical user
interface. This is divided into 4 sections (shown on next page):
1. ANSYS Utility Menu
2. ANSYS Toolbar Menu
3. ANSYS Main Menu
4. Display window
Each section will be discussed in further detail below.
Within this menu, you can perform file operations, list and plot items, and change display
options.
File Drop-down Menu
The File drop-down menu includes the options to clear the database, change, resume, and save
the current model.
Clear and Start New deletes the current database. It does not clear the log or error files.
Change Jobname changes the name of the database and associated files.
The next time you save, it will write everything to the current jobname. It will not delete the
previous jobname or associated files.
Note: unless you check the box for New log and error files, it will continue
to write to the current log and error files.
Change Directory allows you to switch directories where the files are being saved.
Resume Jobname.db and Resume from allows you to open a model that has already been saved.
Note: If you resume a file, ANSYS does not automatically switch the current jobname to the
name of the file you resumed from. Change the jobname otherwise you may write over another
model.
Save as Jobname.db and Save as allow you to save the model. If you choose ―save as‖ it will
save the file as a different name. If you do not change the jobname, the next time you save it will
overwrite the current jobname and not the ―save as‖ file name.
This pops up a window allowing you to pan, zoom and rotate the model.
The Numbering selection allows you to turn on/off the keypoint, lines, areas, volumes, nodes and
element numbering.
The Hard Copy selection sends the plot to a printer or image file.
ANSYS Toolbar
If you get a message reporting that the percent error cannot be calculated with powergraphics
turned on, click the POWRGRPH button to turn off powergraphics.
The ANSYS Main Menu contains all of the commands to create, mesh, apply loads, solve, and
view results of the FE analysis. The Main Menu is divided into sections that sequentially follow
the steps involved in an analysis.
Select the element types to be used. Multiple types may be selected and applied to a model.
Input the material properties. Multiple materials may be entered and applied to a model.
Use the modeling options to create the model.
Note: ANSYS uses a hierarchy for modeling: keypoints (lowest) lines areas volumes (highest) If
you create a volume, all of the areas, lines and keypoints will be automatically created for you.
Use the meshing options to mesh the model.
To delete mistakes, choose the Delete menu under Modeling. It is important to select the right
option. For example, if you select Areas Only, the area will be deleted but the lines and
keypoints that make up that area will remain. If you select Areas and Below, it will delete the
area plus the lines and keypoints that define the area.
NOTE: there is not an undo button in ANSYS, once deleted, the component must be re-created.
Choose the type of analysis to perform.
Lists the percent error. If you get a message ―Cannot view percent error with powergraphics on‖,
click the powergraphics button on the ANSYS Toolbar to turn it off. List the results for every
node. This can be used to get the maximum and minimum values of results.
IV. MODEL ANALYSIS
The results of some investigations by Tao & Yu [17-19] identified that the grid-domed
cellular structure possesses the highest specific energy absorbing capacity among so many cell
Configurations (including circular and square tubularknitted, multi-layer 3D woven, non-woven
Suspended and grid-domed cells) under both quasi-static compression andimpact conditions.
In addition, other geometrical factors onthese flat-tapped cellular composites that govern the
Energy absorbing capacity, including cell height, diameter ratio ofcell-top to cell-bottom,
Projected wall area, cell density and component content have also been optimized [17] Fig. 5
Shows a cross section of this cellular structure.
In this research an impact test has simulated (with the sametest conditions that S.W. Lam
has Implemented [18]) for the grid-domed cell with GMT in AnsysLs-Dyna, and the extra
properties And the impact energy absorption capacity of GMThave been identified. The GMT
with 30%Volume fraction (V.F.) has less peak loads and more toughness in comparison with the
GMT with 40% V.F. (see Fig. 6)
Fig. 6 Absorbed energy – Normal displacement of GMT grid-domed
Cellular sample under impact
So, the GMT with 30% V.F. with similar dimensions as usual car dampers has used for
the first Try of design and analysis. In accordance with the standard of straight front a impact
test, the Mass of imp actor must be equal to net camass. So, initial kinetic energy of the imp actor
(as a Result fits initial velocity) could be derived as in (1):
The objective of the spring design is to completely absorbthe above (1) kinetic energy as
the cover reaches the conic sand its edges are opened and the springs are in maximumextension
Length. In other words, the total impact energyshould be used for cover change from stage 1 to
Stage 2 which also cause the springs to extend simultaneously (See Fig. 7).
Fig. 7 cover movements and spring extension: stage 1-2
In the case which there are no springs, thus there isn’t anyresistance forces on the cover
edges, the simulation shows that in changing from stage 1 to stage 2, the vertical displacement
of the cover edges are more than 6 cm. in this case, stressesare negligible, except in a small area
Between the cover edge and the middle part of the cover (i.e. elastic hinges) and all deformations
are completely elastic, so absorbed energy is negligible too.
Related to the stages 1 & 2 and numbers of conics, prescribed parameters are: δ (springs
displacement) and ns(number of springs in the system) which are held betweenconics. Other
Parameters are identified by utilizing a genetic algorithm with the consideration on the minimum
Weightofspring system (and so minimum weight of bumper).Mathematical model of the problem
Will be as in equation(2) to (5):
1. Variable vector
In which ―N‖ is the number of active coils, ―D‖ is mean spring diameter and ―d‖ is spring
wire diameter.
1. Objective function
2.Equal boundary condition equation
Today, what is interesting related of this research is now an innovative inflatable bumper
concept, called the ―I-bumper,‖ is developed in this research for improved crashworthiness and
safety of military and commercial vehicles. The developed I-bumper has several active structural
components, including a morphing mechanism, a movable bumper, two explosive airbags, and a
morphing lattice structure with a locking mechanism that provides desired rigidity and energy
absorption capability during a collision. Another additional innovative means for improving
crashworthiness is the use of tubes filled with a granular material to absorb energy during the
process of a crash.
Then stress distributions on vertical and horizontal path taken at time intervals of 0.25 s shown in
Fig. 15 & Fig. 16 respectively.
The maximum stress distribution occurs at t=0.052 s which correspond with the time that
cover reaches to the conics. On vertical path, the stresses are a combination of compression in
Longitudinal& lateral directions and tension in lateral direction. Maximum Von Misses stress
Occurs at location 4 since the elements are under compression on the contacting surface with the
Imp actor and under tension on the lateral direction. The next extremes are for points 2 and 6
Because of stress concentration due to relative sharp corner and implemented notch (hinge)
respectively. Points 7, 8 & 9 are those on the cover edge after the hinge and hence yielding
Von Misses stresses of nearly zero. In horizontal path, stresses are more tension than
compression and also stress wave fluctuate and decreases along the path from the center of the
Bumper to each side. Safety factor can be derived with the aid of maximum Von Misses stress
and GMT yield strength.
By utilizing this concept, the safety factor in vertical path has shown in Fig. 17.
Minimum value occurs at point 4 and is about 1.5 that is generally satisfactory.
The common use of the term stress analysis includes any kind of structural analysis. In the
field of thermoplastics design, there is a growing awareness of the importance of stress analysis.
In many years, plastics have been used for applications in load-bearing structural components in
the automotive, aerospace, sporting, and construction industries. Hence, design engineers are
Increasingly concerned about stress-related problems, typically with the strength, stiffness and
life expectancy of their products. About many years ago, these problems were primarily
associated with the metallic components. Stress analysis has always been interdisciplinary,
because an effective analysis needs to bring together a thorough knowledge of the operating
characteristic of the product,
Material behavior, structural behavior and solid mechanics. Structural plastics design is a
field that is evolving in the same manner as did the aero-space and nuclear power industries.
That is, a sequence of products innovations, and better methods of design and analysis
continuously reinforce each other and lead to the optimum design of the product. Stress analysis
is a vital activity in this process. From the point of view of stress analysis, are the thermoplastics
very different from metals? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because a few types of behaviors of
thermoplastic materials call for advanced techniques of analysis, because such behaviors are
encountered only in special applications of metals. No, because several calculations and test
procedures for characterizing the mechanical properties of thermoplastics are very similar to
those of metals. Thus such stress analysis is also similar. Material properties of plastics such as
elastic modulus, yield point, tensile strength and fracture toughness are understood, measured
and used in a manner similar to those for metals. Many structural plastics design may be
performed using the familiar strength of material approach. Likewise detailed stress analyses of
plastic components are performed assuming linear elastic behavior
From the previous research or analysis on car bumper, basically they focus on the design
and crashworthiness optimization. However, for this analysis just focusing on the stress analysis
on car bumper by applying various loads on the static condition only. In the real situation, there
is much point that bumper mounting to the car which make it stronger or can absorb more energy
during the impact. For the simulation, just take fixed point both end of the bumper. Only the
Fascia part of the bumper will take into account.
ii. To modeling the actual dimension of the car bumper into the
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Basically in car collisions, most of energy is dissipated by body deformation. But the
things is depending on the type of collision, members are loaded axially and by bending or a
combination all of that. Axially loaded members will normally dissipate a substantial part of the
energy during a front collision. Some energy may be observed for such members, which
normally collapse by folding and bending of the plate elements composing the component. Small
variation in geometry, material properties as well as boundary and loading conditions can
produce this scatter in the result. We will analysis how this parameter can effect and to reduce
energy dissipation and thus to prevent more damage during the collision [5]. Engineers today
emphasize robust behavior of the energy-dissipating structure. So they must very wall in decide
the variation in the material, geometry, loading and boundary conditions. Hence, the automotive
industry uses finite element analysis in order to reduce the lead time to develop a new product
and cost.
Research from the American Iron and Steel Institute on bumper compatibility stated that
the difference in heights and weights between these two types of vehicles (and indeed average-
sized cars and trucks) creates an advantage for the heavier and/or taller vehicle when in a
collision. A bumper is designed to absorb the energy of a low speed impact with another vehicle,
while an incompatible structure such as a headlight, or even a hood in some cases, is not. When a
bumper strikes an object that is not designed for impact, the bumper will sustain less damage and
inflict much more damage on the soft item. Bumpers need to hit each other squarely to serve
their purpose
2.2 FUNCTION
A bumper is a shield made any of material like steel, aluminum, rubber or plastic that is
mounted on the front and rear of passenger car. The function is when a low speed collision
occurs, the bumper system absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the car. Some
bumper use energy absorbers or brackets and others made with foam cushioning material. The
car bumper is design to prevent or reduce physical damage to the front car. It is also design to
protect the hood, trunk, grille, fuel, exhaust and cooling system besides the engine. It is not
safety feature intended to prevent or mitigate injury to occupants in the passenger cars.
Bumper car rides are designed so that the cars can collide without much danger to the
riders. Each car has a large rubber bumper all around it, which prolongs the impact and diffuses
the force of the collision. The bumper cars run on electricity, carried by a pole on the back of the
car that leads up to a wire grid in the ride's ceiling. This grid carries the electricity that runs the
car. Electrical energy carried to the cars from the grid is converted to kinetic energy, some of
which is converted to heat.
2.3 GEOMETRY
Bumpers are structural components installed to reduce physical damage to the front and
rear ends of a passenger motor vehicle from low-speed collisions. Damage and protection
assessments are the commonly used design criteria in bumper design. For damage assessment,
the relative displacements representing stiffness performance are defined and examined. At the
protodesign stage for a new car, finite element (FE) analysis is often utilized to predict the
stiffness of a bumper. However, conventional bumper analysis through FEM outputs a constant
stiffness even though the stiffness has some distribution due to uncertainties. The uncertainties
are assumed to be the tolerances of thicknesses. Under this uncertain condition, the
displacements representing stiffness are calculated by approximate statistics and by worst-case
analysis. Then, a robust design is determined by design of experiments (DOE) using the
orthogonal array strategy to find the design having a minimum weight of bumper within the
stiffness constraints
Steel can be used to effectively absorb impacts, but when the impact structures are set at
different heights and the bumpers do not hit each other squarely, then the bumpers of each
vehicle are not going to behave optimally. The height disparity can cause unnecessary damage to
the lower vehicle and, more importantly, the occupants of the lower vehicle. Having considered
all of these facts, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has voluntarily agreed to alleviate
Vehicle Incompatibility all together by 2009. All vehicles made by BMW Group,
DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu,
Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen will be compatible
(they will also have a variety of other safety features per this agreement). But what is
compatible? The AAM defines compatibility as having the majority of the Primary Energy
Absorbing Structure within sixteen to twenty inches of the ground
Figure 4: Cross section of the bumper system technology
Automobile car bumpers have the important function of lessening low- or high-speed
impacts from the front or rear of the vehicle. Numerous designs come equipped on
various makes and models with different components and features. Yet they all serve the
same function: protecting the occupants of the vehicle from traumatic shock during a
collision or lessening body damage to the vehicle by absorbing collision force. Some
bumpers have extremely technical features and designs.
Sometimes called bumper "lug nuts," the mounting bolts used for securing the steel
bumper frame to the chassis, have extremely heavy construction, with large-diameter
bores and coarse threads. Typically made of high-tensile steel, the bolts have thick
spacers and locking washers to secure them in place. Some vehicles can have as few as
four mounting bolts, while others might have up to 10 or 12.
Bumper Frame
The bumper frame, typically made of steel, stretches from one side of the vehicle to the
other, making it the largest and heaviest piece of all the bumper components. The bumper
frame sits between the vehicle chassis and the outside bumper cover, serving as the main
impact component. On older vehicles, the bumpers were designed to crush completely
upon impact; they had extremely heavy construction and often had chrome plating.
Bumper brackets come in a variety of shapes and sizes for the different makes and
models. Cast of angular steel, the brackets connect the bumper frame to the vehicle
chassis frame. Some cars have two large adjustable brackets on each end, whereas
heavier trucks might have four. Bumper support rods, made of solid steel rod, connect the
chassis frame to the outside ends of the bumper frame and serve as extra braces. They
guard against outside angular impacts, where the bumper end can become crushed or
forced inward.
Crush cans and absorbers function as impact dampeners that mount between the bumper
frame and the chassis. They can incorporate thick fiber pads, rubber bushings, high-impact
plastic or polystyrene. Their design allows them to crush or give upon impact, allowing the
bumper frame to flex inward with minimal damage.
Bumper Guards
Bumper guards, usually two rectangular rubber blocks that sit near each of the bumper's
outer ends, serve as the first impact components on the bumper. Constructed of pliable,
solid rubber, the bumper guards bolt to the bumper frame---usually with two bolts.
Bumper guards extend outward from the bumper surface as much as 4 to 6 inches, which
ensures that they make contact with an object before any other bumper component.
Bumper Shocks
Many foreign-make and newer vehicles come equipped with shock tubes mounted
between the bumper and the chassis, instead of using the crush can or absorber. Some
bumper shocks have spring-loaded tubes that allow high impact, allowing them to
rebound when struck. The entire bumper can travel backward with the impact and
rebound back into position. Some bumper shocks function with gas or hydraulic-operated
tubes, performing the same function as the spring-type bumper shock.
Instead of using protruding solid bumper guards, some car and heavy truck bumpers
come equipped with inset bumper trim strips constructed of high-impact polyethylene
plastic. The trim strip extends from one end of the bumper to the other, usually bisecting
a chrome bumper through the middle. Extending 1/2-inch or so outward from the bumper
face, the trim strip makes first contact with any object, protecting the finish of the
bumper. They also serve as decorative trim pieces.
. Bumper Covers
Some bumpers have mounting holes and brackets for lower turn signals and fog lamps,
along with mounting holes for license plate brackets.
Although the makeup of car bumpers has changed over the years, this vital component of
your vehicle plays an integral role in modern transportation safety. Bumpers protect the vital
components on your car by reducing collision damage.
History
Frederick Simms invented the car bumper in 1901. The first car bumpers were made of
metal beams attached to both the front and rear of a car for the purpose of protecting a car
in a low-speed collision.
Materials
Generally, car bumpers are made of a plastic cover reinforced by a bar made of steel,
fiberglass composite, plastic or aluminum. In addition to crushable brackets and a bar,
bumpers sometimes incorporate polypropylene foam or formed thermoplastic. These
additional components act as spacers between the bumper and bar, not as energy
absorbers.
Importance
Bumpers protect important equipment on your car such as headlights, taillights, hood and
exhaust and cooling systems. These components are all expensive to replace, and a
bumper can eliminate or reduce the costs of repairing them.
Attributes
The attributes of a good car bumper include geometry, energy absorption and stability.
These traits allow a bumper to line up flush with an opposing bumper in order to absorb
any impact and maintain stability.
Types
While most bumpers have a standard design to protect important components on a car,
some are designed for style. This emphasis on style often reduces a bumper's, resulting in
decreased effectiveness in resisting damage during a crash.
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
The common use of the term stress analysis includes any kind of structural analysis. In
the field of thermoplastics design, there is a growing awareness of the importance of stress
analysis. In many years, plastics have been used for applications in load-bearing structural
components in the automotive, aerospace, sporting, and construction industries. Hence, design
engineers are 5 increasingly concerned about stress-related problems, typically with the strength,
stiffness and life expectancy of their products. About many years ago, these problems were
primarily associated with the metallic components.
Stress analysis has always been inter disciplinary, because an effective analysis needs to
bring together a thorough knowledge of the operating characteristic of the product, material
behavior, structural behavior and solid mechanics. Structural plastics design is a field that is
evolving in the same manner as did the aero-space and nuclear power industries. That is, a
sequence of products innovations, and better methods of design and analysis continuously
reinforce each other and lead to the optimum design of the product. Stress analysis is a vital
activity in this process. From the point of view of stress analysis, are the thermoplastics very
different from metals? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because a few types of behaviors of
thermoplastic materials call for advanced techniques of analysis, because such behaviors are
encountered only in special applications of metals. No, because several calculations and test
procedures for characterizing the mechanical properties of thermoplastics are very similar to those of
metals. Thus such stress analysis is also similar. Material properties of plastics such as elastic
modulus, yield point, tensile strength and fracture toughness are understood, measured and used in a
manner similar to those for metals. Many structural plastics design may be performed using the
familiar strength of material approach. Likewise detailed stress analyses of plastic components are
performed assuming linear elastic behavior.
PARAMETER CONSIDERED
Basically in car collisions, most of energy is dissipated by body deformation. But the
things is depending on the type of collision, members are loaded axially and by bending or a
combination all of that. Axially loaded members will normally dissipate a substantial part of the
energy during a front collision. Some energy may be observed for such members, which
normally collapse by folding and bending of the plate elements composing the component. Small
variation in geometry, material
Properties as well as boundary and loading conditions can produce this scatter in the
result. We will analysis how this parameter can effect and to reduce energy dissipation and thus
to prevent more damage during the collision. Engineers today emphasize robust behavior of the
energy-dissipating structure. So they must very wall in decide the variation in the material,
geometry, loading and boundary conditions. Hence, the automotive industry uses finite element
analysis in order to reduce the lead time to develop a new product and cost.
Research from the American Iron and Steel Institute on bumper compatibility stated that
the difference in heights and weights between these two types of vehicles (and indeed average-
sized cars and trucks) creates an advantage for the heavier and/or taller vehicle when in a
collision. A bumper is designed to absorb the energy of a low speed impact with another vehicle,
while an incompatible structure such as a headlight, or even a hood in some cases, is not.
When a bumper strikes an object that is not designed for impact, the bumper will sustain
less damage and inflict much more damage on the soft item. Bumpers need to hit each other
squarely to serve their purpose.
FUNCTION
A bumper is a shield made any of material like steel, aluminum, rubber or plastic that is
mounted on the front and rear of passenger car. The function is when a low speed collision
occurs, the bumper system absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the car. Some
bumper use energy absorbers or brackets and others made with foam cushioning material. The
car bumper is design to prevent or reduce physical damage to the front car. It is also design to
protect the hood, trunk, grille, fuel, exhaust and cooling system besides the engine. It is not
safety feature intended to prevent or mitigate injury to occupants in the passenger cars. Bumper
car rides are designed so that the cars can collide without much danger to the riders. Each car
That runs the car. Electrical energy carried to the cars from the grid is converted to kinetic
energy A bumper is a shield made any of material like steel, aluminum, rubber or has a large
rubber bumper all around it, which prolongs the impact and diffuses the force of the collision.
The bumper cars run on electricity, carried by a pole on the back of the car that leads up to a wire
grid in the ride's ceiling. This grid carries the electricity, some of which is converted to heat.
Experimental measurements
A steel impact or was dropped from the height of h = 300 mm on a composite plate which
was clamped along one edge was measured. A transverse displacement of the plate u(t) was
Measured directly under the point of impact, 10 mm from the edge of the plate, see Fig. 5. The
Displacement was measured by a laser sensor optoNCDT by Micro-Epsilon. The experimental
setup scheme is illustrated in Fig. 6.
The failure analysis of composite materials was the next comparison of the experimental
measurement with numerical simulation [2]. Three stripes were made. The stripes properties
where: length 105 mm, thickness 1.05 mm, width 15, 20, 25 mm and fiber orientation 0 (A00),
45 (A45) a 90 (A90). The comparison of experimental and numerical values of failure force are
shown in Table. 4 bellow. Fig.
\
In this part new composite bumper reinforcement is proposed. In the next step the
stiffness analysis is performed. It is compared with original steel bumper reinforcement by
means of stiffness analysis. The aim was to keep the basic shape of the bumper reinforcement the
same as in the case of the steel bumper – it means the length, height and curvature of bumper are
Similar. The goal is to achieve the same, eventually better, mechanical behavior of the bumper
reinforcement because the steel reinforcement shows fracture during RCAR test as discussed
below.
Afterwards, a large strain damage analysis and a weight comparison of selected bumper
reinforcements are performed and the corresponding weights are compared. The connection
between the reinforcement and the deformable element is not investigated. The connection is
Rigid and realized by so-called tied elements.
The stiffness test is displayed in Fig. 10. Steel cylindrical ―impact or‖ is pushed into the
bumper reinforcement with a force of 1 kN. The displacement of the bumper reinforcement is
evaluated under the steel cylindrical position.
At first, the lay-up of the composite structure was proposed as [01, ±30, 90, ∓ 30, 0] and
the total composite thickness was 6 mm. This composite structure did not reach stiffness
improvement in comparison with original steel bumper reinforcement (see [1]). The profiles A
and C showed low stiffness values and, therefore, they were not taken into consideration in the
next simulations. To further improve the designs, the composite structure lay-ups of both profiles
B and D were modified to [0, ±30, ∓ 30, 90, ±30, ∓ 30, 0] in the next step and so the new total
composite thickness was 7.6 mm. The new results are displayed in Fig. 11. It can be seen that
the modified profiles are now stiffer than the original steel structure. The complete results from
Stiffness analysis can be found in [1].
The testing was realized with a rigid barrier, which was pushed against the bumper
reinforcement and the deformable element, (see Fig. 12) by a prescribed displacement. The
parameters of the simulation barrier are equal to the barrier used in RCAR tests as introduced in
section 2.2, i.e., rigid barrier with an inclination of 10 degrees, shift of the barrieris 40 % of the
maximum width of the car without mirrors. The results are displayed in Fig. 13.
Fig. 12. Damage test
The analysis revealed fracture on the edge of the profile B, see Fig. 14, which does not
demonstrate a good damage behavior of the bumper reinforcement. The modified profile D
proved to be the best of all tested profiles. The maximum value of damage in the simulation is
about 60 % (maximum dmax value in the whole model). This means that the loading is still
transferred to the deformable element (see Fig reinforcement also shows certain fracture on the
edge as shown in Fig. 15. Therefore, the com. 2) which is necessary feature for a well designed
bumper reinforcement. The original steel bumper posite profile D proved to be a suitable
replacement for the original steel structure from both the stiffness and damage point of
view.
before fracture
Fracture
The main advantage of the new bumper is the mass reduction. Mass comparison between
original steel bumper reinforcement and composite bumper reinforcements is displayed in Tab.6.
The mass was calculated from elements volume and material density. The comparison shows a
great mass reduction of the bumper reinforcements with use of the composite materials – up to
78 % in the case of best profile D.
The work is dedicated to the simulation of car bumper behavior according to prescribed
safety procedures. The main part of the work is focused on the design of a new composite
bumper reinforcement with the aim to maintain or improve its mechanical properties while
reducing the mass. The numerical models for PAM-Crash software using shell elements and
Ledev`eze model for the composite material are validated by experimental measurements.
Afterward, four composite profiles are proposed and tested using stiffness analysis performed
according to RCAR specification. After modification of the material structure, two profiles are
found to have greater stiffness that the original steel structure and they are selected for latter
damage analysis. The damage analysis proved one of the profile to be a suitable replacement for
the original part as it showed no fracture and, moreover, a great mass reduction could be
achieved with the use of the composite structure. However, the matter of price and damage of the
reinforcement due to composite material delamination must be further inspected. This problem
has not been involved in the numerical model yet. The connection between the reinforcement
and the deformable element was also not resolved in this work since it is rather a technological
issue. Acknowledgements
References
[1] Kleisner, V., Design of composite car bumper, Diploma thesis, University of West Bohemia, 2008.
(in Czech)
[2] Laˇs, V., Zemˇc´ık, R., Progressive damage of unidirectional composite panels, Journal of Composite
Materials, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 25–44, 2008.
[3] PAM-CRASH 2007. Solver Notes Manual. ESI-Group, Paris.
[4] Research Council for Automobile Repairs. Rcar homepage [on-line]. [cit. 2008-20-05]. URL:
<http://www.rcar.org/index.htm>.
[5] The official site of the European New Car Assessment Programme. Front impact [on-line].
[cit. 2008-20-05]. URL: <http://www.euroncap.com/tests/frontimpact.aspx>.
[6] Vlk, F., Car body : ergonomics, biomechanics, passive safety, collision, structure, materials. Brno,
Publisher Vlk, 2000, 243 pp., ISBN 80-238-5277-9. (in Czech)