Load Cell Wall Analysis in Small Overlap and Oblique Tests 2014-36-0246
In recent past years, the most important challenges for car manufacturers in terms of crashworthiness have been related to the introduction of the Frontal Small Overlap crash test promoted by the IIHS. The introduction of this new configuration presents a new and critical load case that manufacturers are on the way to solving.
Now, with several OEM's starting to achieve good results, a new configuration is being studied for introduction: the frontal oblique crash test against a deformable barrier based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposal in the US. Towards providing the best tools for passive safety development, a tool to enable the analysis of the loads transmitted to the barrier in both tests has been developed. This data enables the identification of the elements of the vehicle that take part in the absorption of energy during the crash and is a valuable tool to improve the vehicle safety by comparing the loads transmitted to the barrier in Small Overlap and oblique tests.
For the validation of the load cell system, two tests were carried out, one with the IIHS Small Overlap barrier and a second one with the FMDB barrier used in the oblique test. These two tests were performed with the same car and following the test procedure specifications. Thus, the results obtained were treated, analyzed and compared.
