Extreme sandwich-lightweight design with high degree of functional integration

Kurzfassung

In times of climate change and the associated global warming, measures and concepts to save re-sources and to decrease emissions are significant factors in the effort to limit the environmental impact of global technological improvement. With the development of lightweight vehicle concepts, research institutes as well as the automobile industry can contribute an important part to the future manufacture of ecological and technologically advanced cars. At the Institute of Vehicle Concepts, German Aerospace Center (DLR) a car body structure in sand-wich architecture is developed. This structural concept is a consequent implementation of hybrid materials resulting in a lightweight structure made of few parts with relatively simple shape. The packaging and the weight distribution of this newly vehicle architecture has been established in close collaboration between the department of Lightweight and Hybrid Design Methods and some experts from the department of Alternative Powertrains of the Institute of Vehicle Concepts. A hybrid battery fuel cell powertrain added to the car body concept enables developing a novel compact vehi-cle. Multifunctional structures are playing a major role in the implementation of this powertrain con-cept. A very light body in white structure with a high level of damage tolerance in case of accidents has been developed. This is achieved by adapting materials and using an architecture of high damage tolerance for structural components. Especially structural foams and honey comb for cores in combi-nation with metallic sheets are qualified. Hereby a high lightweight design potential is achieved. The basic scientific approaches like the novel hybrid material structure architecture, inventive concepts for passenger compartment, innovative frontends or the special crosswise seat beam construction com-plete the car body structure. In combination with unconventional shape architecture an overall concept of a weight optimized, multifunctional and highly integrated body in white structure is generated. The car body structure is analysed by using FEM-tools. This FEM crash calculation is realized in two different crash scenarios: a frontal load cases (100% overlap) and the pole test (rigid standard pole). Furthermore two static analyses (bending and torsion) are made. Conceptual ideas and innovations will be shown in terms of demonstrating hardware. The objective is a widespread statement concerning the potential, the lightweight construction quality and the practicability of an overall sandwich car body structure to provide a contribution for future development of body in white structures.