Journal of Mechanics Engineering and Automation 4 (2014) 555-559

Development and Impact Behaviors of FRP Guarder Belt

for Side Collision of Automobiles

Yoshio Aoki1, Akihisa Tabata1, Kotaro Nakamura1 and Goichi Ben2

1. Precision Machinery Engineering, Nihon University, Funabashi 274-8501, Japan

2. Mechanical Engineering, Nihon University, Narashino 275-8575, Japan

Received: May 07, 2014 / Accepted: May 27, 2014 / Published: July 25, 2014. Abstract: In automobiles, the CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) has a possibility of weight reduction in automotive structures which can contribute to improve mileage and then reduce carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the safety of collision should be also made clear in the case of employing the CFRP to automotive structures. In this paper, the CFRP guarder belt equipped in the automotive door is developed and examined by an experiment and a numerical analysis for replacing the conventional steel door guarder beam. As the experimental relation of impact load to displacement for CFRP guarder belt agreed well with that of numerical result, the numerical method developed here is quite useful for estimating impact behaviors of CFRP guarder belt. Key words: Impact behavior, FRP, absorbed energy, automobile, collision safety, FEM (finite element model).

1. Introduction

It is well known that CO2 emissions, which are one

of the greenhouse gases emitted from passenger

vehicles such as automobile, are major cause of global

warming. In the automobile industry, to reduce CO2

emissions, it is well known that the most effective

method is to produce the fuel efficient automobile. To

increase the fuel efficiency of the automobile, the

most effective approach is to reduce the automobile

weight by using lightweight material such as

composite materials. FRP (fiber reinforced plastics)

have been widely used in aerospace, industrial goods

and other application fields because of their high

specific strength and high specific modulus compared

with metal. This means that the FRP contributes to

lighten automobiles greatly. Otherwise, the safety of

automobiles is also very important and the collision

safety of the automobile has been evaluated by full

Corresponding author: Yoshio Aoki, Ph.D., professor,

research fields: structural mechanics, safety design, structural health monitoring and strength of material. E-mail: aoki.yoshio@nihon-u.ac.jp.

flap frontal crash, offset frontal crash and side impact

tests. In the frontal crash test, it is possible to absorb

the energy by largely deforming the front part and the

rear. With an increasing an interest in the lightening of

the automobile and in the securing the safety of

passengers, many researches for them have been

performed [1-9]. However, in the side impact test, it is

hard to absorb the energy similarly, because of being

very narrow for the survival space of passengers. In

the inside of the door, a reinforcement member as

shown in Fig. 1, namely door guarder beam made of

steel has been installed to absorb impact energy and

its deformation is limited to about 150 mm.

In this study, the FRP door guarder belt is developed

for the purpose of designing impact energy absorption

members under side collision as shown in Fig. 2. A

drop weight impact tests are carried out to investigate

impact response behaviors and impact energy absorption

characteristics of the FRP door guarder belt. Also, a

FEM (finite element model) was developed to

simulate the impact response behavior and the

absorbed energy of the FRP door guarder belt under

impact loading.

DAVID PUBLISHING

D

D

556

Fig. 1 Conv

Fig. 2 Energ

2. Experim

2.1 Experim

Fig. 2 sho

energy abso

impact energ

FRP belt be

and changin

weight to th

in the supp

concentratio

Thin FRP b

unidirection

RX350G125

method and

1,642 mm, r

FRP guard

thickness an

2.2 Tower D

In order

absorption a

behavior of

drop tower f

RoRo

Development

ventional door

gy absorption

ment

ment: Specime

ows the sche

orption by t

gy is effectiv

etween two f

ng the vertic

he tensile load

port edge of

on, a belt-sha

belt specime

al prepreg

5S/epoxy) by

d its width a

respectively.

der belt spe

nd the mass.

Drop Weight Im

to evaluate t

and to show

f the FRP gu

facility for th

Tension

Tension

otary pin

CF

Tension

Tension

otary pin

CFC

and Impact B

guarder beam

mechanism of

en Fabrication

ematic diagra

the FRP gu

vely absorbed

free fulcrums

al impact loa

d. In order to

specimen d

aped specim

ens were ma

gs (T700S

y using the

and length w

Fig. 3 and T

ecimen and

mpact Test

the capacity

the micro an

uarder belt, t

he impact test

Im

Tens

Ten

RFRP Belt

Im

Tens

Ten

RFRP BeltCFRP belt

Behaviors of

m.

f FRP guarder

n

am of the im

uarder belt.

d by installing

s for the rota

ad of the fal

o prevent frac

due to the st

en was adop

anufactured f

SC/epoxy

e sheet wind

were 50 mm

Table 1 show

the specim

of crash en

nd macro frac

the large siz

t was designe

mpactor

sion

nsion

Rotary pin

mpactor

sion

nsion

Rotary pin

FRP Guarde

belt.

mpact

The

g the

ation

lling

cture

tress

pted.

from

and

ding

and

w an

men’s

ergy

cture

e of

ed as

sho

Fig.

Tabspec

A-T

B-T

Fig.

the

kg f

app

shap

radi

er Belt for Sid

wn in Fig. 4

. 3 FRP guar

ble 1 Thickcimens.

ThickT1/T

Type 0.9/1

Type 0.4/0

(c) Measur

. 4 Tower dro

impact load g

from 12 m he

proximately 5

pe of impacto

ius and 200

Road c

20 mm

de Collision o

4. The FRP g

rder belt specim

kness, mass a

kness T2 (mm)

Ma

1.2 102

0.7 56

(a) Mounted

(b) Impa

red location of t

op impact test

generated by

eight. Therefo

55 km/h just

or was a half

mm width.

800m

T 1

T 4

cell

800 m

T1 = X

T1

T4

of Automobile

guarder belt w

men.

and material

ass (g) Carb

2 T700

.5 RX35

specimen

actor

the longitudina

setup.

a free drop w

fore, the impa

t before the

f cylinder hav

The impact

40mm

mm

160mm

380mm

T 2

Strai

mm

40 mm

mm

380 mm

160 mm

T2

es

was received

sequences of

on fiber

0SC

50G125S

l strain

weight of 100

act speed was

impact. The

ving 100 mm

load of the

m

T 3

in gage

T2 = X mm

T3

d

f

0

s

e

m

e

D

specimen wa

the rotary p

mechanism

camera was

specimen fro

strain gauge

the center o

near the rota

as shown in

supported bo

40 mm. Fig.

the fracture

the experim

breakage in

to the tensil

And the spec

edge, which

location or a

3. Results

In the cas

from diago

impact resp

offset angle

experiment

performed

specimen s

diagonally a

test with of

experiment

impact resp

examined. F

impact load

belts for ver

impact load

of FRP belt

the maximum

A-type spec

at the displa

of 6-7 m/s.

fractured b

Development

as measured b

pin. In orde

of the FRP

s chosen. An

om collision t

e. The strain g

of the specim

ary pin (T3) a

n Fig. 4c. Th

oth ends in th

. 5 shows the

location of F

ment, the obse

the entire wi

le load acted

cimen fractur

h is larger ten

around the rot

and Discus

se of side co

onal directio

onse behavio

of FRP gua

of the side co

to incline t

so that the

as shown in F

ffset angle of

(offset impac

ponse behavio

Fig. 7 shows

to displacem

rtical and off

increase with

specimen no

m value just

cimen, the im

acement of ab

On the othe

by maximum

and Impact B

by a load cell

r to investig

P guarder be

nd the dynam

to fracture w

gauge stuck o

men as a coll

and middle p

e FRP guard

he rotary pin

e observed fra

FRP guarder b

erved fracture

dth of FRP b

d on the who

red at their ce

nsile stress, oc

tary pin is sup

ssions

ollision, there

on actually.

or for the sid

arder belt wa

ollision with

the supporte

impactor hi

Fig. 6. The dro

f 15° was ca

ct test), then

or of the sid

relation of

ment of the th

fset impact. T

h increasing

onlinearly, th

before fractu

mpact load rec

bout 100 mm

er hand, the B

m load abou

Behaviors of

l installed beh

gate the frac

elt, a high-sp

mic strain of

as measured

on three place

lision point (

point of both

der belt speci

n of a diamete

acture modes

belt specimen

e mode was f

belt specimen

ole the specim

enter or suppo

ccurred at im

pposed.

e is the colli

. Therefore,

de collision w

as examined.

offset angle

ed base of

it the specim

op weight im

arried out in

the differenc

de collision

the experime

hree FRP gua

The experime

the displacem

hen, they bec

ure. In the cas

covered to 75

m within the t

B-type speci

ut 32 kN.

FRP Guarde

hind

cture

peed

f the

by a

es at

(T1),

(T2)

imen

er of

and

n. In

fiber

n due

men.

orted

mpact

ision

the

with

The

was

the

men

mpact

this

ce in

was

ental

arder

ental

ment

ome

se of

5 kN

time

imen

The

mea

Fig.

Fig.15°.

Fig.curv

Loa

d (

kN

)

er Belt for Sid

asured load-

. 5 Fracture m

. 6 The drop

.

. 7 Comparve for FRP gua

A-type (

B-type (

A-type (

de Collision o

-displacemen

mode of the sp

p weight impa

rison of experarder belt.

Fracture PoFracture p

Displace

(vertical impact)

(vertical impact)

(offset impact)

of Automobile

nt curve for

pecimen in the

act test with o

rimental load

oint point

ement (mm)

es 557

the vertical

impact test.

offset angle of

d-displacement

7

l

f

t

D

558

impact test

similar tende

Next, the

individual w

compared w

shown in T

guarder belt

of an impac

location of t

The conve

and has diam

length of

absorption o

conventiona

absorption o

Table 2 Com

FRP guarder b(A-type) Steel impact b

Table 3 Com

Experimental condition

Vertical impact

Offset impact

Fig. 8 Strain

Str

ain

(μ)

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

Development

and the off

ency.

specific abs

weights of

with the conv

Table 2. The

t can be calcu

t load P and

the specimen

E

entional impa

meter of 35

945 mm.

of FRP guard

al impact be

of the FRP be

mparisons of a

belt

beam

mparisons of fr

Types of specimen

A-type

B-type

A-type

n of A-type spe

160mm

380mm

T 1 T 2 T 3

T 4

Position T1

Position T2

Position T3

Position T4

and Impact B

fset ones be

sorbed energy

the FRP gu

ventional ste

e absorbed e

ulated by an

a displaceme

until its fract

dP act beam con

mm, thickne

The exper

der belt is big

am and the

elt is 22 times

absorbed energ

racture time a

f Fracture load (kN)

75

32

60

ecimens for ve

Time (m/s)

Behaviors of

ecame an alm

y divided by

uarder belt

eel impact b

energy of CF

area of the cu

ent of the im

ture as

sists of steel

ess of 2 mm

rimental en

gger than it of

specific en

s bigger than

gy for FRP gua

Absorbedenergy (J)

2,800

1,900

nd energy abs

Fracture displacement (mm)

98

66.5

98

rtical impact.

FRP Guarde

most

y the

was

beam

FRP

urve

mpact

(1)

pipe

and

ergy

f the

ergy

it of

the

of

abs

of A

B-ty

F

vari

of e

The

B-ty

stre

stra

in A

pred

the

tens

imp

arder belt and

orption of FRP

Fracture (m/s)

6.5

4.5

6.3

Fig.

Str

ain

(μ)

er Belt for Sid

impact beam

fracture l

orption of FR

A-type speci

ype specimen

Figs. 8-10 sh

iations at fou

each locations

e strain becam

ype specimen

ess concentrat

ain became m

A-type specim

dominant. In

strain variati

sile force in

pactor contact

steel impact b

Se

2

1

P guarder belt

time Absorbeenergy (

2,800

670

2,280

. 9 Strain of B

T 1

T 4

Pos

Pos

Pos

Pos

8,000

9,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

de Collision o

m. And Table

oad/displacem

RP guarder be

imen became

n.

how the exp

ur locations in

s increase wit

me maximum

n by which a

tion becomes

maximum at th

men by which

n the offset im

ion of T1 and

nfluences by

t.

beam.

Specific absorbenergy (kJ/kg)

27.50

1.243

t.

ed J)

Mass (g)

102

56.5

102

B-type specime

160mm

380mm

1 T 2 T 3

4

Time

sition T1

sition T2

sition T3

sition T4

of Automobile

3 shows the

ment/time a

elt. The energ

e three times

perimental im

n the specime

th time transi

m around the

local breakin

s predominan

he center of t

h fiber break

mpact, it is

d T2 almost s

y the frictio

ed

Ratio absorbenergy (kJ/kg)

27.5

11.8

22.3

ens for vertica

e (m/s)

es

comparisons

and energy

gy absorption

s or more it

mpact strain

en. The strain

it nonlinearly

corner pin in

ng due to the

nt though the

the specimen

kage becomes

possible that

same that the

n when the

bed )

Fracture location

T1

T2

T3

al impact.

s

y

n

t

n

n

y.

n

e

e

n

s

t

e

e

D

Fig. 10 Stra

4. Conclus

The FRP

purpose of

member und

tests were

behavior an

guarder bel

From these r

(1) The F

along the e

applied on b

(2) The

specific ene

bigger than i

(3) The

strength of t

tower drop w

The CFRP

and safety

greatly is sup

Str

ain

(μ)

1,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

Development

ain of A-type sp

sions

P guarder b

f designing

der side colli

carried out

nd the absorb

t under imp

results, we co

FRP guarder

entire length

both the upper

experimental

ergy absorpti

it of the conv

impact resp

the FRP guar

weight impac

P guarder bel

improvemen

upposed.

Position T4

Position T3

Position T2

Position T1

and Impact B

pecimens for o

belt was dev

impact en

sion. The dro

t and the i

bed energy o

pact loading

ould be concl

r belt absorb

of it and t

r and lower s

l energy abs

ion of FRP

ventional imp

ponse behav

rder belt were

ct test.

lt contributes

t of safety

160mm

380

T 1T 2

T 4

Time (m/s)

Behaviors of

offset impact.

veloped for

ergy absorp

op weight im

impact respo

of the FRP d

were exami

uded as below

bed crash en

tension stres

ide of belt;

sorption and

guarder belt

act beam;

vior and im

e obtained by

to lightweigh

of the car b

0mm

T 3

FRP Guarde

the

ption

mpact

onse

door

ined.

w:

ergy

ss is

the

t are

mpact

y the

hting

body

Re

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

er Belt for Sid

ferences

Ben, G., Aok

of Simulatio

CFRP/Al Al

Automobiles

363-79.

Caliskan, A.

of Composit

Analysis.”

Mechanical

Louisiana, U

Kim, H. S.,

“Comparison

for FRP Tu

Presented at

Composite M

Kim, K. J., a

Variables on

International

713-17.

Cheon, S. S

“Composite S

Composite St

Thornton, P.

Management

International

167-80.

Schmueser, D

Absorption

Journal of E

72-7.

Ramakrishna

Absorption C

Composite M

585-620.

Farely, G. L

Materials.” Jo

de Collision o

ki, Y., and Sugim

on Technology

lloy Hybrid B

.” Advanced C

G. 2002. “Axia

e Structures U

Presented at

Engineering

SA.

Ben, G., Aoki

n of FEM Resu

ubes in Autom

the 5th Japan

Materials, Korea

and Won, S. T

n Automotive B

l Journal of

S., Dai, G. L

Side-Door Impa

tructures 38 (1-

H., and Jeryan

in Composi

l Journal of

D. and Wickliff

of Continuous

Engineering Ma

a, S. and H

Characteristics

Materials.” Eng

L. 1983. “Energ

Journal of Comp

of Automobile

moto, N. 2010.

y for Impact

Beams in Side

Composite Mat

al & Lateral Im

Using Explicit F

the ASME

Congress &

i, Y., and Shik

ults with Expe

mobiles under

n-Korea Joint S

a.

T. 2008. “Effec

Body Bumper I

Automotive T

L., and Kwang

act Beams for P

-4): 229-39.

n, R. A. 1988.

ite Automotiv

Impact Engin

fe, L. E. 1987. “

s Fiber Comp

aterials and Te

Hamada H. 1

of Crash wor

gineering Mate

gy Absorption

posite Materials

es 559

“Development

Behavior of

e Collision of

terials 19 (4):

mpact Prediction

Finite Element

International

& Exposition,

kada, A. 2005.

erimental Ones

Impact Load.”

Symposium on

ct of Structural

Impact Beam.”

Technology 9:

g, S. J. 1997.

Passenger Cars.

“Crash Energy

ve Structures.”

neering 7 (2):

“Impact Energy

posite Tubes.”

echnology 109:

998. “Energy

rthy Structural

erials 141-143:

of Composite

s 17: 267-79.

9

t

f

f

:

n

t

l

,

.

s

”

n

l

”

:

.

.”

y

”

:

y

”

:

y

l

:

e