Paper

The Feasibility of ESLM for BIW Roof Structure Development and Optimisation


Authors:
J. Christensen; C. Bastien; M. V. Blundell
Abstract
This paper is part of an extensive research effort exploring the opportunities and feasibility of using structural optimisation algorithms to develop crash structures and Body In White (BIW) architecture directly from a styling envelope. Previously published papers have explored the limitations of “conventional”, i.e. linear static, topology optimisation using the Variable Density Method (VDM) and the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalisation (SIMP) interpolation scheme to develop BIW architecture, including an investigation into the potential effects of recently proposed changes to FMVSS 216 upon roof structure design. The most significant limitation of the VDM and SIMP based optimisation algorithms, found in most commercial Finite Element (FE) software, is that they are limited to linear and isotropic material behaviour only. The most recent (generally adopted) method for topology optimisation of non-linear material behaviour (and non-linear geometrical behaviour) is the Equivalent Static Load Method (ESLM). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences between “conventional”, i.e. linear static and isotropic, topology optimisation and ESLM. This will be achieved by comparing both the theoretical aspects as well as a case study of roof crush modelling and optimisation in accordance with FMVSS 216.
Keywords
Non-linear Finite Element Topology Optimisation; FMVSS 216; Roof Crush; Body In White (BIW); Lightweight Vehicle Architecture; Equivalent Static Load Method (ESLM)
StartPage
34
EndPage
47
Doi
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