Conceptualization, proposed design and theoretical investigations of an active adaptive cutting device with enhanced energy dissipation potential

Abstract

Active adaptive energy dissipation systems can receive and interpret data from onboard vehicle sensors to respond to external stimuli by modifying their geometries and corresponding load bearing capacities. This is a highly promising subfield in structural crashworthiness since these devices possess multiple potential configurations, thus allowing them to achieve the preferred balance between high-capacity energy absorption and mitigation of human injury for a broad and disparate range of loading conditions. A novel cutting-based active adaptive energy absorber was conceptualized, design and theoretically assessed in this investigation with guidance from previous experimental observations and extensively validated modeling approaches. The proposed, hydraulically-driven active adaptive cutter (HAAC) was capable of transitioning between 4, 6, 8 and 12-bladed cutting deformation modes in either direction (e.g., from 6 to 12-bladed cutting or vice versa) and in a nondestructive manner. The steady-state force capacity could be varied by an average factor of 2.6, quantifying the significant range available to the HAAC regardless of extrusion material or geometry. A broad scale analytical study revealed that the proposed HAAC could eclipse the energy absorbing performance of the traditional axial crushing deformation mode for AA6061-T6 extrusions with 50.80 mm to 76.20 mm diameters and 1.59 mm to 3.18 mm wall thicknesses, with an average enhancement of 73 % calculated for the 12-bladed cutting mode. The newly proposed active adaptive capabilities allow the system to carefully balance energy absorption requirements and mitigation of occupant/pedestrian injury in a manner which the current state-of-the-art cannot achieve.

Keywords

• Axial cutting
• Radial clamping
• Active adaptivity
• Axial crushing
• Aluminum