Theoretical and numerical analysis of crashworthiness of elliptical thin-walled tube

Thin walled structures have been applied in engineering field to improve the passive safety of automobiles. This paper studies the crashworthiness of thin-walled tube with elliptical cross section. The influence of aspect ratio f, perimeter of section C-0 and thickness h(0) on energy absorption characteristics were investigated based on the theory of plastic deformation. First, the plastic deformation mode of the elliptical thin-walled tube (ETT) is expounded under axial impact. Second, the theoretical model to predict the mean crushing force of the ETT under axial impact is developed based on the principle of the folding deformation mechanism; finally, the comparison of the theoretical and numerical predictions of ETT are conducted to verify theoretical model. The results also show that the mean crushing force P-m is positively correlated with C-0 and h(0), and negatively related to f.