Numerical investigation of Belleville spring as an energy absorbing component

Abstract

Crashworthiness research has attracted significant attention, focusing on evaluating deformation behavior and selecting composite material components that act as energy-absorbing devices. Among the available composite materials, carbon fibers can absorb high energy during a crash. This paper presents the initial concept of the design application of a carbon fiber Belleville spring. The proposed design of the mechanism is directed to reduce the extent of the impact. An analytical approach is followed to calculate the energy absorbed during a crash. The parametric study is conducted for a different range of load [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]N to predict which spring material absorbs maximum energy. The impact on the occupant side is minimum by the finite element approach. A brief overview of the spring’s energy absorption capability is provided through Ansys, and a correlation is proposed, which helps predict the value of Energy for different loads.