Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Frontal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) resulted in 10,813 fatalities and 937,000 injuries in 2014, which is more than any other type of MVC. In order to mitigate the injuries and fatalities resulting from MVCs, new safety restraint technologies and more biofidelic anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) have been developed. However, the biofidelity of these new ATDs must be evaluated, and the mechanisms of injury must be understood in order to accurately predict injury. Evaluating the biomechanical response, injury mechanisms, and injury threshold of the thorax are particularly important because the thorax is one of the most frequently injured body regions in MVCs. Furthermore, sustaining a severe thoracic injury in an MVC significantly increases mortality risk. The overall objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the biomechanical responses of human surrogates under various frontal loading conditions. This objective was divided into three sub-objectives: 1) to evaluate the biofidelity of the current frontal impact ATDs, 2) to evaluate the effect of different safety restraints on occupant responses, and 3) to evaluate rib material properties with respect to sex, age, structural response, and loading history. In order to meet sub-objectives 1 and 2, full-scale frontal sled tests were performed on three different human surrogates: the 50th percentile male Hybrid III (HIII) ATD, the 50th percentile male Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR-M) ATD, and approximately 50th percentile male post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS). All surrogates were tested under three safety restraint conditions: knee bolster (KB), KB and steering wheel airbag (KB/SWAB), and knee bolster airbag and SWAB (KBAB/SWAB). The kinematic, lower extremity, abdominal, thoracic, and neck responses were then compared between surrogates and restraint conditions. In order to assess biofidelity, the ATD responses were compared to the PMHS responses. For both the kinematic and thoracic responses, the HIII and THOR-M had comparable biofideltiy. However, the HIII responses were slightly more biofidelic. The ATDs experienced similar lower extremity kinetics, but very different kinetics at the upper and lower neck due to differences in design. Evaluation of the different restraint conditions showed that the SWAB and KBAB both affected injury risk. The SWAB decreased head injury risk for all surrogates, and increased or decreased thoracic injury risk, depending on the surrogate. The KBAB decreased the risk of femur injury, but increased or decreased tibia injury risk depending on the surrogate and injury metric used to predict risk. In order to meet sub-objective 3, the tensile material properties of human rib cortical bone and the structural properties of whole ribs were quantified at strain rates similar to those observed in frontal impacts. The rib cortical bone underwent coupon tension testing, while the whole ribs underwent bending tests intended to simulate loading from a frontal impact. The rib material properties accounted for less than 50% of the variation observed in the whole rib structural properties, indicating that other factors, such as rib geometry, were also influencing the structural response of whole ribs. Age was significantly negatively correlated with the modulus, yield stress, failure strain, failure stress, plastic strain energy density, and total strain energy density. However, sex did not significantly influence any of the material properties. Cortical bone material properties were quantified from the ribs that underwent the whole rib bending tests and subject-matched, untested (control) ribs in order to evaluate the effect of loading history on material properties. Yield stress and yield strain were the only material properties that were significantly different between the previously tested and control ribs. The results of this dissertation can guide ATD and safety restrain design. Additionally, this dissertation provides human surrogate response data and rib material property data for the validation of finite element models, which can then be used to evaluate injury mitigation strategies for MVCs. / PHD / Frontal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) resulted in 10,813 fatalities and 937,000 injuries in 2014, which is more than any other type of MVC. In order to mitigate the injuries and fatalities resulting from MVCs, new safety restraint technologies, e.g., seat belts, and more biofidelic (human-like) anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), i.e., crash test dummies, have been developed. However, the biofidelity of these new ATDs must be evaluated, and the mechanisms of injury must be understood in order to accurately predict injury. Evaluating the biomechanical response, injury mechanisms, and injury threshold of the thorax (chest) are particularly important because the thorax is one of the most frequently injured body regions in MVCs. Furthermore, sustaining a severe thoracic injury in an MVC significantly increases the risk of death. The overall objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the biomechanical responses of human surrogates under various frontal loading conditions. This objective was divided into three sub-objectives: 1) to evaluate the biofidelity of the current frontal impact ATDs, 2) to evaluate the effect of different safety restraints on occupant responses, and 3) to evaluate rib material properties with respect to sex, age, structural response, and loading history. In order to meet sub-objectives 1 and 2, frontal crash tests were simulated in the laboratory using a crash sled. These sled tests were performed on three different human surrogates: the Hybrid III (HIII) ATD, the Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR-M) ATD, and post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS), i.e., cadavers. All surrogates were tested under three safety restraint conditions: knee bolster (KB), KB and steering wheel airbag (KB/SWAB), and knee bolster airbag and SWAB (KBAB/SWAB). The kinematic (body movements), lower extremity, abdominal, thoracic, and neck responses were then compared between surrogates and restraint conditions. In order to assess biofidelity, the ATD responses were compared to the PMHS responses. For both the kinematic and thoracic responses, the HIII and THOR-M had comparable biofideltiy. However, the HIII responses were slightly more biofidelic. The ATDs experienced similar lower extremity kinetics (forces and moments), but very different kinetics at the upper and lower neck due to differences in design. Evaluation of the different restraint conditions showed that the SWAB and KBAB both affected injury risk. The SWAB decreased head injury risk for all surrogates, and increased or decreased thoracic injury risk, depending on the surrogate. The KBAB decreased the risk of femur injury, but increased or decreased tibia injury risk depending on the surrogate and how injury risk was predicted. In order to meet sub-objective 3, the material properties of human rib cortical bone and the structural response of whole ribs were quantified under experimental conditions reminiscent of what the bone would experience during a frontal impact. The rib cortical bone underwent material testing, while the whole ribs underwent bending tests intended to simulate a frontal impact. The rib material properties only partially influenced the structural response of the whole rib. This indicated that other factors, such as rib shape and thickness, were also influencing the structural response. Age was correlated to a decrease in several material properties. However, there was no significant difference between male and female material properties. Some differences in material properties were observed in cortical bone from fractured and intact ribs, indicating that the fracture influenced the rib material properties. results of this dissertation can guide ATD and safety restrain design. Additionally, this dissertation provides human surrogate response data and rib material property data for finite element (computer) models, which can then be used to evaluate injury prevention strategies for MVCs.

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This thesis presents a theoretical application of multibody dynamics with unilateral contact to model the interaction of the damping element in a freight train suspension, the friction wedge, with the bolster and the side frame. The objective of the proposed approach is to produce a stand-alone model that can better characterize the interaction between the bolster, the friction wedge, and the side frame subsystems. The new model allows the wedge four degrees of freedom: vertical displacement, longitudinal (between the bolster and the side frame) displacement, pitch (rotation about the lateral axis), and yaw (rotation about the vertical axis). The new model also allows for toe variation. The stand-alone model shows the capability of capturing dynamics of the wedge which were not possible to simulate using previous models. The inclusion of unilateral contact conditions is integral in quantifying the behavior during lift-off and the stick-slip phenomena. The resulting friction wedge model is a 3D, dynamic, stand-alone model of a bolster-friction wedge-side frame assembly. The new stand-alone model was validated through simulation using simple inputs. The dedicated train modeling software NUCARS® has been used to run simulations with similar inputs and to compare — when possible — the results with those obtained from the new stand-alone MATLAB friction wedge model. The stand-alone model shows improvement in capturing the transient dynamics of the wedge better. Also, it can predict not only normal forces going into the side frame and bolster, but also the associated moments. Significant simulation results are presented and the main differences between the current NUCARS® models and the new stand-alone MATLAB models are highlighted. / Master of Science

Previous work in the Railway Technology Laboratory at Virginia Tech focused on better capturing the dynamics of the friction wedge, modeled as a 3D rigid body. The current study extends that work to a half-truck model treated as an application of multibody dynamics with unilateral contact to model the friction wedge interactions with the bolster and the sideframe. The half-truck model created in MATLAB is a 3D, dynamic, multibody dynamics model comprised of four rigid bodies: a bolster, two friction wedges, and a sideframe assembly. The model allows each wedge four degrees of freedom: vertical displacement, longitudinal displacement (between the bolster and sideframe), pitch (rotation around the lateral axis), and yaw (rotation around the vertical axis). The bolster and the sideframe have only the vertical degree of freedom. The geometry of these bodies can be adjusted for various simulation scenarios. The bolster can be initialized with a pre-defined yaw (rotation around the vertical axis) and the sideframe may be initialized with a pre-defined pitch/toe (rotation around the lateral axis). The multibody dynamics half-truck model simulation results have been compared with results from NUCARS®, an industry standard train modeling software, for similar inputs. The multibody dynamics models have also been extended to a variably damped full-truck model and a variably damped half-truck warping model. These models were reformulated to react dynamically to simulated truck warp inputs. The ability to better characterize truck warping properties can prevent train roll over and derailments from truck hunting. In a quarter-truck variably damped configuration the effects of a curved wedge surface has also been explored. Actual friction wedges have surfaces which are slightly curved, this iteration in the multibody dynamics friction wedge modeling attempts to draw one step closer to actual friction wedge geometry. This model lays the ground work for a contact dependant wedge wearing model based on material properties and tribology. / Master of Science

This report was written as a result of a Bachelor Degree Project, together with Swepart Transmission AB. The report contains the construction of a hydraulic press for the assembly operation. The project started with a new construction of a hydraulic press for the bearings’ assembly. The goal within the thesis work was to fit the three bearings to the housing by only one press motion. This operation should be very safety because of the sensitive tolerance at the bearings and housing. Construction of the cylinders, rams and bolster were the most important parts at this project because this parts’ functions are very important for this assembly. The next step of this thesis was to calculate the hydraulic press components’ parameters and then choose the suitable components. The focus was to choose more useful and reliable components. The hydraulic press was modeled in the CAD program Solid Works and 2D technical drawing was drawn in the Autocad. The frame material was chosen and the frame was analysised in the Solid Works.

<p>This report was written as a result of a Bachelor Degree Project, together with Swepart Transmission AB. The report contains the construction of a hydraulic press for the assembly operation.</p><p>The project started with a new construction of a hydraulic press for the bearings’ assembly. The goal within the thesis work was to fit the three bearings to the housing by only one press motion. This operation should be very safety because of the sensitive tolerance at the bearings and housing. Construction of the cylinders, rams and bolster were the most important parts at this project because this parts’ functions are very important for this assembly.</p><p>The next step of this thesis was to calculate the hydraulic press components’ parameters and then choose the suitable components. The focus was to choose more useful and reliable components.</p><p>The hydraulic press was modeled in the CAD program Solid Works and 2D technical drawing was drawn in the Autocad. The frame material was chosen and the frame was analysised in the Solid Works.</p>

This Master thesis deals with design structures of moving bolster for body panel press and with design of railroad tracks, in which the bolster is moving in two mutually perpendicular directions. These moving bolsters are used for facilitating and speeding up the change of pressing dies, which is desirable in automated automotive industry for shortening and streamlining the pressing die change. The part of the work is research of the current state of knowledge in systems for quick die change, design of the moving bolster and its drive, design of railroad tracks, amount of design and control calculations, design of mechanism for lifting the bolster, optimization and strength calculations of bolster in ANSYS software. All the design structures of bolster, railroad tracks and basic workplace layout are processed in 3D software for modelling Autodesk Inventor. Attachments consist of drawing documentation of main assemblies, namely mounting drawing of moving bolster assembly, mounting drawing of railroad tracks assembly, drawing of workplace layout and furthermore drawing of driven shaft, weldment and workpiece of moving bolster and railroad tracks block.

This thesis deal with the construction proposal of the moving bolster hydraulic try-out press with roll-up cover the bottom cross beam. Hydraulic try-out press is used for testing dies. Moving bolster is used for remove of testing die from the working area of the press. Roll-up cover is designed to protect the bottom cross beam against damage and dirt snapping. Part of this thesis is design a railway track, design of driving mechanism, strength calculation of all functional components, design of welded frame and mechanism of the roll-up cover including safety cover. Designed device is detail proposed in the 3D software. The thesis contains drawing documentation assembly drawings movig bolster, mechanism of roll-up cover and welded frame consisting of welded and machined parts.

The aim of this thesis is a complex design of the spotting press with a nominal force of 500 kN, which is intended for mating of the both halves of pressing tool for the automotive industry. The press ram is fitted with a hydraulic mechanism which allows the upper clamping board to be tilted in range of 0° -180° and removed from the working space of the press along a profile track. The lower clamping board is a part of moving bolster, which is equipped with a mechanism for lifting and centring. The concept of motion screws is used to drive the ram. Motion screws are mounted in a multiple-part frame and driven by servomotors. The thesis contains background research of the issue, solutions of the main design nodes of the press including calculations, detailed 3D model of the device and partial drawing documentation.