Crashworthiness performance of thin-walled prismatic tubes with corner dents under axial impact - Numerical and experimental study

The paper presents results of the numerical and experimental study into crashworthiness performance and energy absorption capability of thin-walled square section columns with dents, subjected to axial impact load. Thin-walled aluminum tubes with four dents in the corners are under investigation. Energy absorption effectiveness of energy absorbing thin-walled structures is discussed. Finite Element parametric study into energy absorption capacity of structures under investigation is performed. Crushing behavior and some crashworthiness indicators are examined. Results of experimental impact tests carried out on aluminum tubes with dents of selected shape and position are presented. FE theoretical model and numerical results are confronted with those obtained from experimental tests. Some conclusions concerning optimal dent shape and position are derived.