Citation

Mamalis AG, Manolakos DE, Viegelahn GL. Int. J. Veh. Des. 1989; 10(2): 165-174.

Affiliation

National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Inderscience Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Experimental observations pertaining to small-scale microfracturing, large-scale deformation and the crushing behavior of thin-walled circular truncated cones (frusta) made of composite material, when subjected to axial collapse, are reported. Contrary to the mechanism of energy absorption when collapsing shells of the same geometry made of ductile materials, energy absorption in the present case is achieved by material fragmentation; i.e. the mechanism of fracture dominates the phenomenon, rather than the plastic deformation. The effect of shell geometry and the composite material properties on the crashworthy characteristics of the structural components is investigated with the aim of cost-effective vehicle design.