Feasibility Study on the Redesign of a Metallic Car Hood by Using Composite Materials

Nowadays, fuel consumption and exhaust emissions are topical issues in the automotive field, as environmental safeguard legislation constraints are going to get tougher. Indeed, one of the most efficient methods to contain fuel consumption and emissions is the weight reduction of the vehicle. In this paper, a feasibility study on the lightweight redesign of a metallic car hood by using composite materials is presented. In particular, two different configurations, employing composite laminates and sandwich structures, are investigated. The feasibility of each configuration is assessed in terms of stiffness specifications and pedestrian safety requirement. Hence, Head Injury Criteria are employed, according to regulations. Finally, an optimization procedure on the stacking sequence of the composite laminates is performed, to determine, among the feasible solutions, the one characterized by the minimum weight.