Optimal crashworthiness design of CFRP hat shaped section member under axial impact

The designing of vehicles should be more concerned with the aspect of securing safety performance, while reducing the weight of vehicle structural members should also be taken into consideration. Carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs) of the advanced composite materials as structural materials for vehicles have a wide application in lightweight structural materials of air planes, ships and automobiles because of their high strength and stiffness. The objective of this study is to investigate the energy absorption characteristics of CFRP hat shaped section members under the axial impact collapse test. The CFRP side members were made of 8-ply unidirectional prepreg sheets stacked at different angles (+/- 15 degrees, +/- 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 0 degrees/90 degrees and 90 degrees/ 0 degrees, where 0 degrees direction coincides with the axis of the member) and interface numbers (2, 3, 4, 6 and 7). The axial impact collapse tests were carried out for each section member. The collapse mode and the energy absorption characteristics of each member were analysed.