Auslegung einer energieabsorbierenden Struktur aus Faser-Metall-Laminaten für einen Formula Student Rennwagen mithilfe numerischer Simulationen

Abstract

In motor racing, energy-absorbing structures are an essential part of the bodywork to reduce the risk of injuries. Typically, crash structures in vehicles are made of metal, while fibre composites are used as Crash structure in some racing series. Fibre-metal-laminates (FML) represent a symbiosis of the metal’s material property, which converts the kinetic energy of the vehicle into plastic deformation during a crash, and the fibre composites which exhibit high mass-specific energy absorption due to progressive failure. This thesis investigates whether the promising lightweight potential of FML can be used to design a crash structure for a Formula Student racing car. It is examined whether a weight reductionof the crash structure is possible within the framework of the currently valid regulations. For this purpose, a modelling strategy for the simulation of omega profiles from FML is developed on the basis of results from preliminary work. First, a strategy for monolithic CFRP specimen is developed, which will be extended to FML in the progress of the thesis. While the model for the monolithic CFRP crash specimen shows a good agreement of the material behaviour and the mass-specific energy absorption of the tests and the numerical simulation, the complexity of the failure of FML cannot be represented. Therefore, the results of the preliminary work are used to make a mathematical interpretation. It can be shown that FMLs have the potential to reduce the weight of the vehicle.