A Simulation Environment for Field Relevant Rollover Accidents

Abstract

To raise the occupant's and vehicle's safety in of the rollover sensors activating the safety systems in the traffic, the automotive industry develops more and more case of an accident a large number of different rollover safety systems which should assist the driver and protect the maneuvers has to be analyzed. It should not be forgotten, occupants, respectively. For the development and the improvement of these systems, a large number of accident however tat the s ti ofhisue ie. to a'v e of scenarios have to be analyzed in respect of the influence of misfire ices where a thetvehiceseemstto er but such systems to the accident. Since the vehicle rollover is actually does not are as important to be nvesthgated. One of amongst the most dangerous accident and responsible or the standard accident scenarios is the embankment serious injuries or even fatal cases, this scenario has to be maneuver. investigated and analyzed for the development of so-called~~~~~--..vehlicle spec jf dt i]cuuc I] a rqiri passive safety systems, like airbags, belt pretensioners and lers frsal'o:s;s data m]tsurcnicins arc rcql1tCi and 1to riLs io ckVSYtIi urin,,! extreme MC LIC rollover bars, with the help of computer simulations. aalo Therefore, the vehicle dynamic has to be mapped. A special focus of this paper is on the modeling of the ground contact i----ti -,----lic during the touching of the vehicle underbody in case of coiiipiitcr siiiiulation 2I/ a Is embankment maneuvers. Therefore, detailed contact models detiled vehicle todeinare developed. Simulation results with and without (scnsQrs, cQniroiicrs are included) consideration of the ground contact are compared. it 111 i.iTl Ofirio ri I tI f l 3 ol dii 1CI lt mWalcLL\r Ei I INTRODUCTION During the last two decades, the safety of the passengers of | i,l\s01tl S lmilation relults road vehicle has been considerably improved by a variety C(]1CLCi 1L1hC 11 11LIIX of new systems. Active safety systems assist the driver in critical situations. A popular example is the Electronic Vehicle dynamics Figure 1 Vehlle ynaicssimulations to support the controller development Stability Program (ESP), which stabilizes the car by braking wheels individually. The active safety systems are For the simulation of embankment maneuvers, the vehicle dedicated help to circumvent accidents before they occur. is preferably to be modeled as a multibody system. During Passive safety systems reduce the consequences of the vehicle dynamics simulation of sport cabriolets, very accidents for the occupants. The occupant restraint systems, special effects like e.g. the scrapping of the vehicle over the like airbags, belt pretensioners and rollover bars, protect the ground have to be considered as well due to the low ground occupants as far as possible against severe injuries. In order clearance of the chassis. This paper looks at the modeling to further increase the safety on roads the existing systems of the ground contact. Simulation results without and with are continuously improved, and new assistant and occupant con...