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A modeling technique was developed to simulate the door/occupant interaction in the FMVSS 214 test. The door components, including all the panels and the side airbag, were modeled by finite elements and the Side Impact Dummy was modeled by rigid segments with finite element contact surfaces. The DYNA3D finite element code and the CAL3D lumped-mass code were coupled together such that features in each program can be utilized in this modeling approach. A numerical scheme was developed to simulate the door crush due to the barrier impact to obtain the proper door interior stiffness. Material constants for the model were derived from the available test data. The model exhibited good correlation with the barrier test data for the dummy acceleration response. Using this model, potential countermeasures, including thorax padding, an armrest design, and a side airbag, were evaluated.

An overview of engineering methods used in automotive crash simulation is presented. The use of the lumped-mass-spring method (LMSM) and of the finite element method (FEM) as applied to state-of-the-art structural crashworthiness simulations is outlined. The relative merits of these methods in crashworthiness analysis are discussed.