Abbas Niknejad, Mojtaba Firouzi, Hamid Reza Saadat Fard,
Volume 15, Issue 4 (6-2015)
Abstract
This article investigates energy absorption capacity and plastic deformation of lateral flattening process on an aluminum profile with special cross-section under the lateral compressive loading in the quasi-static condition by experimental method. The profile section is a circular tube with two symmetric longitudinal grooves. Different samples with various lengths and outer diameters in three different filling conditions consist of empty, core-filled and full-filled by polyurethane foam were prepared. Some specimens with the same geometry and filling condition but, with different loading angles of 0, 30, 45, 60 and 90o respect to symmetric line of two longitudinal grooves, were laterally compressed. Effects of various parameters such as profile length, outer diameter, three different filling conditions, and loading angle are investigated on lateral loading and specific absorbed energy. Experimental results show that specific absorbed energy is independent of specimen length. At the same displacement, when diameter of samples increases compressive loading decreases. Also, in zero loading angle, presence of the filler enhances lateral load; and consequently, increases specific absorbed energy by the structure. In viewpoint of the design of an energy absorber design, optimum specimen is full-filled profile under a loading angle equal to zero. However, if due to some design limitations, assembling the special profile with loading angle of zero is impossible, assembling the structure in empty condition with loading angle of 90o can be the next suggestion. Experiments show that the highest specific absorbed energy occurs in the profile with different diameters under loading angles of zero and 90o.
Abbas Niknejad, Mojtaba Firouzi, Mohammad Rahim Hematiyan, Sima Ziaee,
Volume 17, Issue 8 (10-2017)
Abstract
This article investigates energy absorption capacity and plastic deformation trend of lateral flattening of an aluminum profile with H-shaped cross section under the quasi-static lateral loading by experimental, numerical and theoretical methods. Samples were prepared with different lengths and three different filling conditions including empty, core-filled and perfectly-filled by polyurethane foam. In addition, samples with the same geometry and filling conditions were laterally compressed with loading angles of 0 and 90 degree. Effect of some parameters such as length, three different filling conditions and loading angle were experimentally investigated on lateral force and specific absorbed energy (SAE). The results show that SAE is independent of samples length. At the loading angle of 90 degree, presence of the filler causes increment of SAE by the structure. Using the perfectly-filled profile under the loading angle of 90 degree is the most optimum condition. Based on two different energy absorption mechanisms, a theoretical equation was derived to estimate total absorbed energy (TAE) by empty sample with loading angle of zero; and predicted results were compared with the experimental samples. Due to present limitations in preparing the samples with different geometrical dimensions, nonlinear ABAQUS software was employed. Some samples with different wall thicknesses were modeled and influence of thickness was investigated on TAE. TAE is directly correlated to the second power of wall thickness; and this relationship can be clearly understood from the theoretical equation and numerical results. High correlation of experimental, numerical and theoretical results indicates precision and accuracy of the performed research.
