Study of Energy Absorption Efficiency for a Few Thin-walled Tubes in Axial Crushing

Abstract

With a view to examine the axial crushing behavior of thin-walled structures, which are used as energy-absorbing components of transports under various dynamic compressive loads, some thin-walled circular and regular polygonal tubes were investigated mainly by the FEM simulation. The former examination was focused on the effects of the reinforcement with circular ribs placed at regular intervals in the axial direction and the moderation of load undulations due to corrugated pattern on the load-displacement relation. On the other hand, the latter examination was focused on the effects of the shape of cross section (the number of apexes and the thickness). The absorbed energy per unit volume and some indexes of efficiency were used for the examination of those axially crushing tubes. Especially, the effective range of the interval between ribs, the aspect ratio of rib, the dimensions of corrugation, and the number of apexes were primarily discussed from the view point of the comprehensive efficiency which laid emphasis on the absorbed energy per unit volume.