Development of efficient energy absorption components for crashworthiness applications: An experimental study

Abstract

This work experimentally investigates the quasi‐static crush response and energy absorption of glass‐reinforced epoxy thin‐walled crash box filled with nano‐aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The effect of the triggering (45 ° edge chamfering) and the weight percentage (wt%) of Al2O3 on the crushing performance have been studied. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) were adapted to show the elemental composition of the fabricated samples' surfaces. To follow the fracture mechanism, visual inspection, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were performed. Two‐parameter Weibull distribution function was employed to statistically analyze the experimental results. Failure probability curves were established to help the designers in selecting the suitable material for energy‐absorbing applications. Results indicated that for untriggered glass/epoxy composite crash boxes, the inclusion of 1, 2, and 3 wt% of nano‐Al2O3 leads to an increase of, respectively, 16.34%, 48.46%, and 68.70% in the absorbed energy (U). While there is a decrease of 32.72% in (U) when adding 4 wt% of nano‐Al2O3. An enrichment of 9.00%, 18.04%, 31.53%, and 11.30% in crush force efficiency (CFE) was reached by the inclusion of, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% of nano‐Al2O3. Triggering has a considerable effect on the crashworthiness parameters of the fabricated composite crash boxes. A decrease of 6.56%, 10.11%, 4.01%, 4.76%, and 11.62% in the initial peak load (Pitalicip), an enrichment of 34.10%, 26.06%, 26.77%, 18.08%, and 28.97% in (CFE) and an improvement of 36.43%, 31.32%, 29.27%, 12.99%, and 52.47% in (U) were reported for composite crash boxes filled with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% of nano‐Al2O3. It is obvious that glass/epoxy triggered composite crash boxes filled with 3 wt% of nano‐Al2O3 are appropriate to be used as energy absorbing device employed in vehicles due to their enhanced energy absorbing capabilities.

Quasi-static axial crushing performance of thin-walled tubes with circular hole discontinuities

“…Song et al, 72 Baaskaran et al, 56 Elahi et al, 73 Özbek et al 64 adapted V = 5 mm/min. Han et al, 49 Sathishkumar et al, 70 Abd El-baky et al, 26,74,75 Alshahrani et al 76 adapted V = 10 mm/min. The authors selected V = 2, 5, and 10 mm/min to ensure the absence of the dynamic effect while testing.…”

Fabrication of Glass/Jute Hybrid Composite over Wrapped Aluminum Cylinders: An Advanced Material for Automotive Applications

“…Crashworthiness refers to the ability of a vehicle to withstand collisions with minimal injury or damage to human bodies or cargos, which is closely associated with the structural design and material selection [1][2][3]. Thin-walled structures are commonly used as crashworthy components because of their benefits, including high energy-absorbing capacity (EAC), high stiffness, high strength, high corrosion resistance, low weight, low cost, and simplicity of manufacture [4][5][6].…”

Metal/polymer composite cylinders for crash energy absorption applications

“…In practical applications, metallic materials such as steel (St) and aluminum (Al) are extensively utilized for the fabrication of thin‐walled energy absorbers owing to their good mechanical properties, cost‐effectiveness, and controlled plastic deformation. [ 3–5 ] On the other side, polymer composites are usually characterized by its exceptional specific strength and stiffness, lightweight, non‐conductivity, superior corrosion resistance, and low coefficient of thermal expansion. [ 6 ] These properties make composites an attractive design option for many industrial applications.…”