Door Side Collision Simualtion

Owned by Geoffrey Liu
Last updated: Apr 16, 2021
4 min read

Goals

The aim of this simulation is to see if the current side door can withstand the side collision described in the 2021 ASC regulations:

Geometry

Main focus is the door panel, and how to represent the connections between the door panel and the chassis.

NOTE: Simulation shouldn’t need the actual chassis file, however Solidworks assembly will have it at the moment.

Hinge

Original:

Simplification:

Notes:

  • With a collision on the door panel, the hinge arm will be pushed into contact with chassis beam

  • Simplified geometry, had to extend the width of the hinge arm to simplify assembly

  • NOTE: Hinge arm and base are connected by 1/4” pins, with collision most likely they will deform, hinges could potentially fail

    • Check situation where in collision, hinge is pushed against chassis beam, does the pin shear, causing the door to detach from chassis (do we need to worry about the door falling off if the hinge fails)

Latch

Original:

Simplified:

Notes:

  • In collision, latch striker rod will be in contact with latch body, for simplicity made as one part

  • In model, latch is held in place with 3D printed mount

    • Thought that it would be useful in model, although not sure how to define in Ansys

Load

Notes:

  • Based on regs, a 5g load must be applied “in an area less than 100 mm high and less than 600 mm wide, with the bottom of the load 350 mm above the ground” in 3 areas

    • To spread the load across as much of the door as possible, went for maximum possible area

    • With wheels, should be 350mm above ground

Ansys Simulation

ACP-Pre

Sets up model geometry and defines materials of components and composite stack-ups for door panel.

NOTE: Currently getting errors with ACP Setup

  • OSS not working with Rosette

Restarted, and remade OSS, then got these errors:

Static Structural

Haven’t got to this part due to issues with ACP-Pre, however, below are ideas of what I will be doing:

  • Set load solid with a 5g acceleration into the door panel

  • Fix faces of hinge and latch which are in contact with the chassis

    • Back face of simplified hinge

    • Cross section face of striker rod which is connected to chassis beam

    • NOTE: double check if deformations make sense, as well as stresses

  • Currently everything just has contact regions with each other, probably need to change

  • Goal is to see if Tsai-Wu failure criteria is met

April 15 Update

  • After meeting with Tommy, scrap simplified hinge and use normal hinge

    • Need to update CAD assembly to reflect this

    • Note: Ansys doesn’t like configurations of the same part

      • Solution: save configs as separate parts for now

      • Ansys also can’t find files in other directories - for now just find files when pop up window appears

Model

  • Make all materials structural steel

    • For door panel, make structural steel 2 for now, will overwrite later

  • Change contact auto creation tolerance from 3mm to smaller (e.g. 0.5mm)

  • Can update mesh size later (currently 3mm)

ACP Pre

  • Changed stackup from 0, 30 60 to 0, 45, 90

Static Structural

Force:

Supports (remote displacement of 0):

Results:

 

  • Deflection is moving in right direction

  • Simulation values cannot be verified, are ridiculously high (not a very good sign)

    • Definitively need to revisit

  • Want to see stress distribution on actual door panel

    • Simplify geometry first?