Experimental and numerical investigations on the energy absorption of shrink circular tube under quasi-static loading

This paper presents an investigation on the energy absorption behavior of shrink circular tube under quasi-static loading by experimental and numerical methods. The circular tube is shrunken in radial direction under axial compression by a cone bush. Energy is absorbed by the plastic bending/compression of tube and the friction between tube and cone bush. Quasi-static crushing tests on aluminum alloy circular tubes demonstrate the feasibility of this type of energy absorber. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate tube deformations and driving force stroke responses, which agree well with experimental results. On the basis of validated numerical model, effects of friction coefficient, cone angle, and tube dimension on driving force response and energy absorption efficiency are investigated by numerical simulations. It is observed that the shape of driving force stroke curve is significantly affected by cone angle and tube dimension, whereas it is almost not affected by friction coefficient. Friction energy is almost linearly dependent on friction coefficient, and plastic energy almost linearly increases with an increase in cone angle. In addition, the compact tube has a higher energy absorption efficiency. A comparison on the maximum specific energy absorptions of shrink circular tube and expansion circular tube, reveals that shrink circular tube has a higher energy absorption efficiency. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.