A Numerical Study of Crash Optimization

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, numerical crash optimization was performed and studied. Three design optimization approaches: gradient-based, DOE/Penalty/Gradient-based, and DOE/Penalty/Response Surface Method, were employed to solve a front rail crash optimization problem using two single-objective formulations. An in-house explicit code FCRASH was used for solving the nonlinear, transient crash problem. The optimization process was carried out using a commercial software package, iSIGHT from Engineous Software Inc. A front rail crash model was used as the benchmark to demonstrate those approaches. Based on the numerical experiments, a simple, viable, and relatively efficient approach is proposed.