Technical Paper
Energy Dissipation in High Speed Frontal Collisions
2013-04-08
2013-01-0770
One element of primary interest in the analysis and reconstruction of vehicle collisions is an evaluation of impact severity. The severity of an impact is commonly quantified using vehicle closing speeds and/or velocity change (delta-V). One fundamental methodology available to determine the closing speed and corresponding velocity change is an analysis of the collision based on a combination of the principles of Conservation of Momentum and Conservation of Energy. A critical element of this method is an assessment of the amount of kinetic energy that is dissipated during plastic structural deformation (crush) of the involved vehicles. This crush energy assessment is typically based on an interpolation or an extrapolation of data collected during National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored crash testing at nominal speeds of 30 or 35 mph.