A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF IMPACT ENERGY

ABSORBING CAPACITY OF CIRCULAR TUBES

OUR TEAM
ANN PAVITHRA .J(1VI07ME007)
CHETHAN .G (1VI07ME012)
CHETHANA.K (1VI07ME014)
SUNITHA .H.C (1VI07ME051)

8th semester, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Vemana Institute of Technology, Bangalore
OUR GUIDE
Mr. B.G.VIJAYASIMHA REDDY
Assistant Professor, HOD

CONTENTS
Introduction
Scope of the project
Essentials of the project
Experimental set-up
Specimen specifications
Experimental procedure
Equations used
Photographic views
Results & discussions
Specific Energy absorption capacities
Applications
Future applications
References

INTRODUCTION
The project is about studying how a tubes behaves
when it is acted upon by crushing/compressive loads
& also to determine the energy absorption capacities
of the tubes under study.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

The crashworthiness of vehicles and the deformation of
structures under dynamic loads has been an area of particularly
active study in recent past. A number of energy-absorbing
devices either embodied into vehicle structures or used as road
side crash barriers are currently in use to mitigate the effects of
impact. Metal tubes and tubular structures occupy an important
place in the design of crashworthy systems as cost-competitive
and performance effective energy- absorbing elements.

ESSENTIALS OF THE PROJECT

Test

specimens of different thickness material ( Aluminium)

with specified dimensions.

universal testing machine (UTM) with necessary accessories.

computer system with associated software, to observe

analyze, & record the data.
A hardness testing machine to determine the hardness of the
material.

EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP

Fig.1.0 Electronic Universal Testing machine (UTES-40)

1. Loading Unit, 2. Servo Control Unit, 3. Computer Control

SPECIMEN SPECIFICATIONS
We have confined our studies to Aluminium of
different thickness in the form of hollow circular tubes
with the following dimensions.

Diameter (d)
: 50mm
Length to diameter ratio (l/d) : 3
Radius to thickness ratio (r/t) : 10

Determination of material
properties:
Hardness test :
The Vickers hardnesstesting machine was used
to determine the hardness
of the specimens.
Hardness is defined as a
measure of material
resistance to localized
plastic deformation .

Procedure :

Selection of materials - We have selected

Aluminium as material for conducting the test.
Preparation of materials - The specimen was
cut into desired dimension and surface
finishing was done.
The specimen was placed on the table and
was focused on the Screen, then required
load was applied.
The indentation on the specimen was
observed on the screen, and the readings
were noted for calculating VHN.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

The pipes were machined to the required specifications by

subjecting them to secondary manufacturing processes
(turning,boring,facing).

The specimen was placed b/w jaws of the UTM and data (diameter,
length, thickness, type of loading,material) were input to the
computer which is associated with the UTM.

The compressive load is applied to the specimen under test and

the result is obtained in the form of Load-Displacement curves.

The calculations of energy absorbed and specific energy

absorption were carried out and compared with the theoretical
values for each of the specimen under test.

Photographic views

Fig. 4.0 Axial-Compression of Aluminium Tube (Al-01)

Fig. 5.0 Axial-Compression of Aluminium Tube (Al-06)

RESULTS &
DISCUSSIONS

8
6
2

7
5

1
2

Fig. 5.0 LOAD-DISPLACEMENT graph of AL-01 AXIAL COMPRESSION TEST

DIMENSIONS (mm) L=150.0 D=50.0 t=2.50

EQUATIONS USED
1
y *VHN
3

Yield stress

Where VHN is the Vickers Hardness Number.

Energy absorbed

Specific Energy Absorption

1 3
2 2

EA k y D t L

EnergyAbso rbed
EA
SEA

Mass
DLt

Axial Compression Tests results

Material

Aluminum

Specimen
Code

Dimensions
mm

Mean Energy
load absorbed
KJ
KN

Do

AL-01

50

2.50

150

37.80

3.64

AL-02

50

2.50

150

37.51

4.70

AL-03

50

2.50

150

AL-04

50.5

1.50

36.25
151.50 18.50

3.80
2.03

AL-05

50.5

1.50

151.50 20.20

2.25

AL-06

50.5

1.50

151.50 21.00

2.31

Table 2.0

Comparison of specific energy absorption

Material

Empty Tubes
Theoretical

experimental

AL-01

28.3

22.9

AL-02

28.2

29.6

AL-03

29.5

23.9

AL-04

13.7

12.7

AL-05

13.6

14.1

AL-06

13.5

12.4

Table 3.0

SPECIFIC ENERGY ABSORPTION CAPACITIES

6.10
4.90
1.30

2.11

APPLICATIONS

Fig.6.0 shows a photograph of a car which collided head on with a truck

Fig.7.0 examples of collisions

Fig.8.0 Example of a roadside crash barrier

Fig.9.0 road-side crash barrier in use

AIRCRAFT LANDING

Video 1.0 shows an emergency landing of an aircraft

Advanced technology

Fig.10.0 sport biking (cylinders used as shock absorbers/fluid filled systems)

FUTURE APPLICATIONS

Aerospace industries

Auto-mobiles
* Bikes used for sport biking (as shock absorbers)
* cars, trucks, buses, trains

Nuclear power plants

Road-side crash barrier

Bottom of lift shafts to name a few.

References

W. Abramowicz and N. Jones (1986), Dynamic progressive buckling of circular tubes, Intl. J.
Impact Engg, 4, pp 243-270.

T. Wierzbicki and N. Jones (1983), Structural Crashworthiness, Chp-4, pp 96-114.

T. Y. Reddy (1978), Impact energy absorption using laterally compressed metal tubes,
dissertation, University of Cambridge.

Roslan Ahmad (1990) Axial Compression of Thin Metal Tubes, dissertation, University of
Manchester.

S. R. Reid, and T. Y. Reddy (1978), Effect of strain hardening on the lateral compression of
tubes between rigid plates, Intl. J. Solid Structures, 14, pp 213-225.

N.Jones (1989), Structural Impact, University of Cambridge. Press, Cambridge.

P. D. Soden, W. Johnson, S. T. S. Al-Hassani (1977), Journal of strain analysis. Vol-12, pp 317330.

T. Y. Reddy and S.R Reid (1979) , On obtaining material properties from ring compression test.
Nucl. Engg Design 52, 257-263.

Google, pictures from Wikipedia.