Head-on Collision ME115 FALL 2006 Final Project Instructor: Professor Granda By Blong Xiong Department of Mechanical Engineering California State University, Sacramento

Objective Create a dummy in solid works and export it into Nastran 4D for simulation. The dummy is set in the driver seat of a vehicle that simulates a head-on collision with a wall. There are not airbag simulations and the dummy will not have any seatbelts on.

Process First First Create a dummy and car seat in solid works. Create a dummy and car seat in solid works.

Body Parts created in Solid Works Body Body Head Head

Body Parts (cont) Arms Arms Fore-arms Fore-arms

Body Parts (cont) Hands Hands Thighs Thighs

Body Parts (cont) Shin Shin Foot Foot

Assembled Dummy and Seat

Second Second Import the files into Nastran 4D Import the files into Nastran 4D Then Then Position the dummy into the vehicle Position the dummy into the vehicle And And Fix the constraints Fix the constraints

Dummy placed in vehicle and wall is built

Now Now Set the vehicle to collide with the wall and set the dummy to collide with the vehicle. The C.O.R of vehicle, dummy, and wall:.5 The initial conditions of the simulation are: vehicle and dummy: 21 m/s or about 48 mi/hr. Get ready to watch the simulation. Get ready to watch the simulation.

Collision video Click picture to play video Click picture to play video

Collision video (close-up view) Click picture to play video Click picture to play video

Simulation Data and Graphs The momentum of the vehicle and dummy decrease dramatically as expected, because of the collision with the wall. However, the momentum of the dummy is still increasing after the initial collision because it is still moving inside the vehicle.

Simulation Data and Graphs (cont.) The velocity of the vehicle and dummy resemble the momentum graph. They decrease dramatically.

Simulation Data and Graphs (cont.) Right after the vehicle collision, the acceleration of the vehicle decreases dramatically, but the acceleration of the dummy actually increases rapidly until it hits the vehicle.

Simulation Data and Graphs (cont.) The maximum force on the neck of the dummy is 1158 lb. force when the dummy’s head collides with the vehicle. The maximum force on the body of the dummy is 466 lb. force when it hits the vehicle. The dummy’s body hit the vehicle before the dummy’s head, hence the offset of the peaks of the two graphs.

Conclusion The vehicle simulation results show that a person in a similar collision would suffer major injuries if not death, especially, a person without seat belts or air-bag protection. The force exerted on the neck of the dummy is very high. The vehicle simulation results show that a person in a similar collision would suffer major injuries if not death, especially, a person without seat belts or air-bag protection. The force exerted on the neck of the dummy is very high. It is only a simulation of a collision. Many factors were not included or were estimated. The human dummy for example is created by approximating weights and heights. It is only a simulation of a collision. Many factors were not included or were estimated. The human dummy for example is created by approximating weights and heights.

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