Abstract:
This study details the development and validation of a high-fidelity finite element model for vehicle crashworthiness analysis, focusing on the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria. As part of a broader initiative to evaluate crash safety across various vehicle types, this research integrates advanced computational techniques to enhance the predictive accuracy of crash simulations. The finite element model is designed to analyze full frontal, frontal oblique, and side impacts, capturing mass distribution, structural integrity, and crash response dynamics.
The development process involved extensive vehicle tear-down and digitization, utilizing a FaroArm 3D coordinate measurement system to characterize structural components. The digitized data was processed and formatted for use in the TrueGrid mesh generation software, enabling precise finite element representation. To ensure model fidelity, validation was performed using vehicle impact tests, including full-scale crash tests and component-level evaluations such as rigid pole impacts on bumpers and doors, as well as rigid wall frame tests.
Simulation results were compared against experimental crash data, demonstrating a strong correlation in force histories, structural deformation, and energy dissipation. The study highlights the importance of detailed mesh analysis and numerical optimization in crash simulation modeling. The validated model provides a crucial tool for assessing crashworthiness and guiding vehicle safety improvements, particularly for future lightweight vehicle designs under initiatives like the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). Future work will focus on refining multi-layer body structures and connection modeling to enhance full-vehicle crash simulation accuracy.
