Robust Design Optimization for Crashworthiness of Vehicle Side Impact

Abstract

Optimization for crashworthiness is of vast importance in automobile industry. Recent advancement in computational prowess has enabled researchers and design engineers to address vehicle crashworthiness, resulting in reduction of cost and time for new product development. However, a deterministic optimum design often resides at the boundary of failure domain, leaving little or no room for modeling imperfections, parameter uncertainties, and/or human error. In this study, an operational model-based robust design optimization (RDO) scheme has been developed for designing crashworthiness of vehicle against side impact. Within this framework, differential evolution algorithm (DEA) has been coupled with polynomial correlated function expansion (PCFE). An adaptive framework for determining the optimum basis order in PCFE has also been presented. It is argued that the coupled DEA–PCFE is more efficient and accurate, as compared to conventional techniques. For RDO of vehicle against side impact, minimization of the weight and lower rib deflection of the vehicle are considered to be the primary design objectives. Case studies by providing various emphases on the two objectives have also been performed. For all the cases, DEA–PCFE is found to yield highly accurate results.

A global two-layer meta-model for response statistics in robust design optimization

“…However, the approach can often have difficulty capturing the non-linear response trends across the functional space. In contrast, the second type of approach involves building a meta-model to approximate the response quantities within each optimization iteration (Chakraborty et al 2016). This means that the stochastic computations lie within the optimization cycle and make the computation required prohibitive for large-scale problems.…”

Multi-objective optimization design of B-pillar and rocker sub-systems of battery electric vehicle

“…The authors designed the B-pillar structure to minimize deformation, SM and stress, and the performance of the B-pillar was improved. Chakraborty et al [23] improved the side crashworthiness of a vehicle through an operational model-based robust design method. The results showed that the new method can effectively provide the solutions to improve the side crashworthiness of vehicle body and reduce its SM.…”