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Technical Paper

Occupant Response Sensitivity Analyses Using a Lumped Mass Model in Simulation of Car-to-Car Side Impacts

1985-01-01
856089
Results of a sensitivity study, based on lumped spring/mass modeling approaches for the characterization of structural and occupant responses in 60° and 90° side impacts, are presented in this paper. Test data from collisions between a moving deformable barrier (MDB) and the side of a Volkswagen Rabbit in two crash configurations, simulating 60° and 90° impacts, are used to derive the force-deflection characteristics of the nonlinear springs in the model. The mathematical model is used to investigate the sensitivity of occupant responses to parametric changes in the striking and struck car characteristics. The variables included in this parametric study are striking vehicle and struck vehicle stiffnesses, crash configuration, impact velocity, occupant-to-door clearances, and padding characteristics. The striking car and struck car side stiffnesses are varied in the range of ±40 percent and ±30 percent, respectively, from the nominals.
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