Comparison of Energy Absorption in Circular Aluminium Crash Boxes with Rigid and Elastic Boundary Conditions: Numerical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Crash boxes are usually used in the transportation and automobile industries. Important parameters such as material, boundary conditions, geometry, impact energy consists of striker mass and velocity, and plastic deformation history can influence on the maximum energy absorption and impact load of these structures. In this research first, crash behaviour of extruded aluminium circular tubes under axial impact loading with rigid and elastic boundary conditions are studied. Then, effect of the elastic support on the tube energy absorption is numerically and experimentally investigated. In the following, the numerical results are compared with the practical observations and validated. Finally, it is revealed that employing the elastic support leads to changing deformation mode and significantly reduces the maximum impact load.