Finite element simulation of the human body in vehicle side impact

• Main Author: Jost, Rötger
• Other Authors: Nurick, Gerald N
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5527

Bibliography: leaves 154-166. === Accident statistics have shown that automotive side impacts are a major safety problem. The side impact dynamics of an occupant are very complex and difficult to investigate. Industrial research has mainly focused on the impact dynamics of man-made side impact dummies, rather than on the dynamics of real human bodies. Therefore fundamental research of the impact dynamics of real human bodies is rare. The objective of this thesis has been to make a contribution to this research by developing a computer-simulated model of the human body using the finite element technique. Fundamental research has been conducted in the past to investigate the biomechanical impact responses of the human body subjected to lateral impact. For obvious reasons, tests exceeding injury levels are not performed with living humans and hence human cadavers were used. A pendulum mass is usually used in impactor tests to impact the cadaver at different body regions with varying initial velocities. Sled tests are another test procedure, in which cadavers are impacted against a rigid or padded wall by means of a horizontally accelerated sled.