Numerical simulation of polymeric

foams under impact loading

presented by

Robert Schilling, Ford-Werke GmbH, Kln

Erwan Mestres, Altair Development France, Antony
Paul Du Bois, CAE Consultant, Offenbach/Main
Hartwig Nahme, Fraunhofer-Institut fr Kurzzeitdynamik - Ernst-Mach-
Institut, Freiburg

EHTC 2008, Strasbourg, 01. October 2008

Content

Introduction

Experiments: Test plan, setup and results

Numerical simulation of foams

Validation example: Sphere impact

Conclusion

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Introduction

In the mid of the 1990th crash simulations were already a

standard tool for car development

The first sophisticated FE dummy models were available

There were issues regarding the modeling of foams

In the case of complex loading not uniaxial compression the

modeling issues were significant

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Introduction: Typical front crash model in 1995

Foam modeled with spring elements

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Introduction: FAT working group Foam

Autumn 1996 FAT working group

27, sub group Foam was
founded

Chairman: Christian Stender,
Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg

Companies involved: AUDI,
Autoliv, Daimler, Ford, Opel,
Porsche, Karmann, Keiper,
Johnson Controls and
Volkswagen, Bayer, BASF

Tests: Hartwig Nahme, EMI, Strasbourg
Freiburg

Simulations: Paul Du Bois,
Offenbach/Main
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Introduction: Automotive foam applications

Phase 1: Study on foam applications in automotive industry

Classifciation of foams based on type of application and mechanical
behaviour:

Soft foam: fast elastic springback, small energy absorption,
(e.g. seat foam cushion)

Padding foam: destructible, no springback, high energy
absorption, (e.g. PUR foam Bayer Bayfill EA 64IF80)

PUR bumper foam: delayed, partial springback, medium
energy absorption, (e.g. Bayer Bayfill EA 62IF70)

EPP foam: delayed, partial springback, medium energy
absorption, (e.g. BASF Neopolen P)

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Experiments: Characterization of foams

Phase 2 Phase 5: Foam tests under different loading conditions for

the 4 different foam families ( enhancement of foam models in
LS-Dyna, Pamcrash and Radioss)

Quasistatic compression, multi-compression, shear, compression-
shear, tension, hydrostatic compression

Dynamic compression, multi-compression, shear, compression-
shear, compression relaxation, tension

Dynamic sphere impactor tests

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Experiments: Material database of foams

Type of test d/dt [1/s] Type of specimen

QD Quasistatic 0.01 Cube

Phase 6 Phase 7: Foam compression

tests of foams with different DD Dynamic 50,100,160 Cube

densities PUR bumper foams, compression

EPP foams ( development QZ Quasistatic 0.001 Cube

tension
of material cards for foam
models in LS-Dyna, DZ Dynamic tension 150 Cube

Pamcrash and Radioss) DKk Sphere impact Cuboid 200*200*40

(small) [mm]
700
50-QZ
70-QZ
600 90-QZ
110-QZ
DKg Sphere impact Cuboid 400*400*40
500 (big) [mm]
Stress / kPa
Spannung / kPa

400

300

200
Foam Density [g/l]
100
PUR Padding 50
0
0.000 0.010 0.020 0.030 0.040

Dehnung
0.050 0.060 0.070 0.080
PUR Bumper 50, 70, 90, 110
Strain

QZ, PUR bumper foams EPP 30, 50, 80, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 170

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Experiments: Test set-up

Dynamic compression test Dynamic tension test

Impactor
Loading direction Sled
Impactor Track

B/W trigger
Specimen
Block
Sensor
Load cell
Specimen
Loading plate
Block

Sphere impactor test

Accelerometer

Sphere

Specimen

Load cell
Block

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Experiments: EPP (Expanded Polypropylen) foam

EPP core foam structure Foam block

EPP foam skin

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 Experiments: Results

Dynamic compression test, EPP foam, density 50 g/l, strain rate 130 1/s
45,0
DDw4-2
40,0 DDw4-3
DDw4-4

35,0

30,0
Stress / MPa

25,0

20,0

15,0

10,0

5,0

0,0
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1,0
Compression

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Numerical simulation of foams: Aspects

Foam is a material created by a variety of expansion techniques

Material laws in commercial FE codes are based on decoupled
principal stresses and a Poisson ratio close to zero

Both definition can be applied to foams with low densities
(approximately < 200 g/l)

Tested material curves need to be smoothen and extrapolated to
compression values of approximately 98% (numerical stability)

Strain rate sensitivities need to be considered as well

High time step required for full vehicle crash applications

Material model should be efficient and user friendly (no time
consuming parameter identification)

Foam model should represent macroscopic behaviour
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Numerical simulation of foams: Material models

Investigated material models of different FE codes:

LS-DYNA PAMCRASH RADIOSS

Soft foam 83 45 70
(elastic)
PUR padding 75 24 33
foam (visco-
elasto-plastic)
PUR bumper 83 45 70
foam (visco-
elastic)
EPP foam 83 45 70
(visco-elastic)

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Validation example: Sphere impact model

Small sphere model

Model :
Rigid sphere

Foam skin

Foam block

Boundary conditions :

Initial velocity is set on the sphere (purple arrow). The sphere mass and initial velocity depend of
each case and material density.
The lower plane of the foam bock is clamped (red arrow).
Multi purpose contact interfaces (type 7) are defined between the sphere and the foam block.

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 Validation example: Sphere impact

Small sphere model (material without skin)

Material = 50g/l EPP foam, Initial velocity = 4.750 m/s, Sample thickness = 40 mm, mass = 15 kg

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 Validation example: Sphere impact

Big sphere model (material without skin)

Material = 150g/l EPP foam, Initial velocity = 5.050 m/s, Sample thickness = 40 mm, mass = 30 kg

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Conclusion

Different polymer foams have been tested and numerical models

have been developed to represent the material behaviour under
impact loading.

In a close and fruitful cooperation between the FAT (Research
Association of German Automotive Industry), research institutes and
CAE experts, foam material manufacturers and software vendors
numerically stable and accurate foam models were developed,
improved and tested.

The Radioss material model 70 was used for visco-elastic polymeric
foams. It has an user-friendly input structure, 10 times higher time-
step as the older material model 38 and gives good, realistic results
under compressive loads. Enhancements regarding the behaviour
under tension are planned.

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 Thank you for listening!

We also would like to thank our colleagues from the FAT

working group Foam for their support, chairman
Christian Stender (VW) and the FAT organisation.

Excellent team-work!

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