CAN PLASTIC PYRAMIDS IMPROVE AUTOMOTIVE CRASHWORTHINESS?

This article shows how the new tetracore/ultracore (tc/uc) structural design could help plastic companies to develop car parts with increased resistance to collisions. The basic design is a cluster of pyramid-like structures called tetracores and ultracores; a 'tetracore' has a tetrahedron shape and an 'ultracore' has a truncated tetrahedron shape. A tetrahedron has good stability and structural efficiency, as it has the highest surface per unit volume of any 3-dimensional shape. Strong structures can be developed by arranging tetrahedra together in various ways. Tc/uc structures will show either great stiffness or controlled deformation; they can be fabricated from any of a wide range of materials that can be formed, cast, moulded, or filament-wound. The effective design of parts using these structures requires computer modelling; boeing has developed a detailed elasto-plastic finite element program to analyse tc/uc structures in depth. The most promising applications of the structures to road vehicles are: (1) low cost disposable bumper systems; (2) reinforced doors, roofs and vehicle floorplans. There are also several aerospace applications.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03088448
• Corporate Authors:

  Morgan-Grampian Limited

  30 Calderwood Street
  London SE18 6QH,   England 
• Publication Date: 1989-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 33-34
• Serial:
  • Design Engineering (England)
  • Publisher: Morgan-Grampian Limited
  • ISSN: 0308-8448

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bumpers; Composite materials; Computer aided design; Deformation; Design; Finite element method; Material reinforcement; Mathematical models; Plastics; Reinforcing materials; Stiffness; Vehicle doors; Vehicle roofs; Vehicles
• ITRD Terms: 1352: Bumper; 1357: Car door; 9005: Composite; 8657: Computer aided design; 5595: Deformation; 9011: Design (overall design); 1357: Door (car); 1357: Door lock; 6490: Finite element method; 1357: Lock (car door); 6473: Mathematical model; 7454: Plastic material; 3471: Reinforcement (in mater); 1367: Roof (veh); 5931: Stiffness; 1255: Vehicle
• Subject Areas: Design; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00498775
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1990 12:00AM