Abstract:

In an offset deformable barrier crash, it was found that the knee slider displacement was beyond
target and the score was lower than the expected one according to the assessment method by the China New
Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP). To solve the problem, some relevant structures were improved by the
authors. A multi-body model combined with the finite element method was built based on the vehicle test data
to simulate the cases of the instrument panel (IP) shape, the structure strength, and the supplemental restraint
system (SRS) to ascertain the improving direction. The optimized design of the dashboard and gloves box body
was verified by tests. The results show that the knee slider displacement reduces from 12.7mm to 6.5mm with
the femur score increasing 2.76 points. Therefore, the method can be used to optimize vehicle structures and
shorten the product development period.

Key words: automotive safety, offset deformable barrier crash, knee slider displacement, supplemental restraint system (SRS) , instrument panel (IP), structure optimization, contact surface stiffness