Impact response of tubular structure with internally stacked circular tubes / Naziratie Assrinie Assan

Extensive study had been carried out to determine the impact response of various tubular structures. In the event of collision, vehicles are subjected to very high Initial Peak Force (IPF) due to a large change in momentum in a very short period of time. This can lead to severe human injuries and damage to protected goods. But, it can be controlled through structures deformation as shown in the energy-time graph. Low Crush Force Efficiency (CFE) and high fluctuating force normally exist upon deformation which affects the energy absorption capability. This work aims to introduce a new structural configuration and to determine its performance when subjected to axial static and impact loading. Critical parameters that influence the crush response of the structure are determined. The new configuration was made from Aluminium 6063-T5 circular and square tubes, arranged in desired manner. Simulation of finite element analysis was carried out using ABAQUS software. The results were verified by experiment before embarking on further simulation studies. Results showed that the stacked design had commendable impact energy absorbing capability. The IPF value decreased and more energy was absorbed while the CFE value was much higher. Critical parameters were determined as the best crush performance in terms of IPF, CFE and SEA. Finding from this research was used to design UiTM Formula SAE car impact attenuator. Simulation and experimental results showed that the impact attenuator fulfilled the Formula SAE requirements.