Multi objective optimization of foam-filled circular tubes for quasi-static and dynamic responses

Abstract

Fuel consumption and safety are currently key aspects in automobile design. The foam-filled thin-walled aluminium tube represents a potentially effective material for use in the automotive industry, due to its energy absorption capability and light weight. Multi-objective crashworthiness design optimization for foam-filled double cylindrical tubes is presented in this paper. The double structures are impacted by a rigid wall simulating quasi-static and dynamic loadings. The optimal parameters under consideration are the minimum peak crushing force and maximum specific energy absorption, using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) technique. Radial basis functions (RBF) and D-Optimal are adopted to determine the more complex crashworthiness functional objectives. The comparison is performed by finite element analysis of the impact crashworthiness characteristics in tubes under static and dynamic loads. Finally, the optimum crashworthiness performance of empty and foam-filled double tubes is investigated and compared to the traditional single foam-filled tube. The results indicate that the foam-filled double aluminium circular tube can be recommended for crashworthy structures.

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