Development of composite energy absorber

Abstract

This paper presents experimental investigation and numerical prediction of the deformation behaviour of several types of composite deformation elements, whose potential use is in public passenger transport. Experiments were conducted on two types of samples. First, on filament wound composite tubes with thermoset polymer matrix and on moulded thermoplastic corrugated plates. Tests have shown that the absorbed deformation energy of elements made from filament wound composite tubes depends on the laminate layup. Deformation elements made from moulded thermoplastic carbon sheets are also promising for parts of composite absorbers. The full-scale crash-test simulations (in the PamCrash software) showed that applied deformation boxes in the front bumper of the city bus can effectively absorb large percentage of the impact energy in the initial stage of the crash.