Energy absorption capability of origami automobile bumper system

Abstract

The crashworthiness of an automobile bumper plays a vital role in overall vehicle safety. Energy absorption efficiency, as well as predictable and stable performance, are the most demanding features in the design of the bumper system. To this end, this paper presents a series of innovative bumper designs using built-in origami patterns. Also, we outline a numerical framework for evaluating the energy absorption performance of a bumper when subjected to an impact loading. Comparative analyses on full frontal and 40% offset frontal impact tests are conducted numerically for both low and high-speed scenarios. It is found that the designed failure modes are successfully triggered and followed during the collision process for the combined origami beam-origami crash box design. Most importantly, this optimal design could absorb 31.5% more energy than the conventional bumper.