Crush simulations of composite energy absorbing structural systems

A recently developed material model for orthotropic composites is demonstrated by modeling an energy absorbing crush event used in the development of automotive components. The material model (MAT213) provides a wide variety of capabilities such as tension/compression asymmetric behavior, visco-elastic/plastic behavior, damage modeling, rate and temperature effects with the ability to support these features in shell and solid finite elements. Data from limited laboratory testing of composite coupons is used to construct the material model input. Data from laboratory conducted crush testing is used to validate the material model. The predictions from the explicit finite element (FE) simulations are compared against the laboratory data as well as a popular constitutive model used in the automotive industry (MAT058). Results show that even with incomplete material data to build the constitutive model, MAT213 yields superior results that match experimental validation data reasonably well.