Dynamic High Strain Component Test Facility – Crash Test Facility
In addition to novel vehicle concepts, the research field ‘Lightweight and Hybrid Design Methods’ is also developing new technologies in the area of body in white (BIW) development. Predominantly material combinations and concepts, for which no validated computation methodology yet exists, are being tested to develop or improve the simulation model or the test method.
Among these are, for instance, components and assemblies made of fibre-reinforced plastics or novel energy absorption concepts. These are implemented, for example, in the form of peeling tube absorbers in a novel front end, developed at the Institute.
These component and assembly tests can confirm computation results of structures in early development phases. The flexible structure of the dynamic component test facility enables crash tests to be adjusted exactly to the customer's needs.
The crash facility's benefits in overview:
- Tests of individual assemblies possible with the weight and speed of an overall vehicle crash
- Great flexibility for many different test configurations
- Measurement of local deformations and speeds via 3-D point tracking
The crash facility's structure
The facility consists of two modular test sleds to enable setting up as many test configurations as possible. For a crash test, one of the two test sleds is accelerated along a track, guided by two rails and impacts the second test sled. The latter test sled can either be fixed, for instance to simulate a frontal crash against a standing obstacle, or set up on the railway so that it can movein the longitudinal direction.
The second case is used for instance to reproduce a side impact. Test sled acceleration is done using a cylinder operated with compressed air. A hydraulic brake regulates the cylinder's force of acceleration. The impact speed can be exactly defined this way. Besides testing structural components, the sled system can also be used to test equipment, for example air bags or electronic components.
Capability
The test sled can accelerate to a maximum of 64 km/h with a total mass of 1300 kg. Large body structures for light- to medium-weight vehicle designs can therefore be tested under realistic conditions. The test sleds are guided vertically as well as in the transverse direction to achieve high reproducibility of the experiments.
Metrology
Each test sled is equipped with a data acquisition system in order to record measured values at up to 42.5 kHz. Accelerations, elongations, forces, and deformations can be recorded during the collision depending on sensor equipment. High-speed video cameras and a lighting system are available for high-speed videosof the crash. Software for point tracking enables local deformations and speed progressions to be investigated directly on the component.
The crash facility's most important operating figures
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|---|---|
Crash energy: | max. 206 kJ |
Speed: | max. 19 m/s at 1100 kg and max. 17.8 m/s at 1300 kg |
Test space dimensions: | 2.0 m x 3.5 m x 3 m (L x W x H) |
Crash facility test examples
The test sled's modular structure enables flexible adjustment to test the most varied superstructures.
Hybrid beams:
dynamic 3-point bending test
- Metal beams with different core materials in order to increase the weight specific energy absorption
- Dynamic 3-point bending test with a cylindrical test specimen similar to a pole crash
B-column frame:
side impact
- Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic frame for investigation of stability and failure behaviour of fibre reinforced composites in case of a crash
- Crash test with free-standing test sled for reproducing an IIHS side crash
Multi-material design front end:
Frontal collision
- High weight-specific energy absorption through peeling of tubes
- Frontal crash test at 56 km/h and 1.3 t weight