A new type of energy absorber called an expansion joint (i.e. a corrugated tube) is examined in this research. Several experiments are performed on three types of thin-walled specimen, namely circular tubes, preformed corrugated tubes and complete corrugated tubes, to investigate the energy absorption of steel specimens under different conditions for quasi-static lateral loading and axial loading. For this purpose, some steel specimens were compressed between two rigid platens in the axial direction, and the other specimens were laterally compressed. The preformed corrugated tubes and the complete corrugated tubes were produced by the hydroforming method. In each geometrical group of specimens, several tubes, which have different wall thicknesses, different inner diameters and different lengths and which are either empty or filled with polyurethane foam, were tested. Experiments show that, for a lateral load, the specific absorbed energies of the complete corrugated tubes are higher than those of the corresponding preformed corrugated tubes and circular tubes with the same characteristics. Tests show that, under lateral loading, a complete corrugated tube with a thicker wall and a smaller diameter is the optimum energy absorber system. Therefore, when a circular tube transforms into the corrugated tube, a better energy absorber system with a higher capability is achieved under lateral loading. Also, experiments show that, under axial loading, simple circular tubes with no forming process have higher specific absorbed energies than corrugated tubes do. Corrugated specimens have more controllable plastic deformation and a more regular deformation mode than simple tubes have. Tests under axial loading illustrate that, when the preformed corrugated tubes are filled with polyurethane foam, the specific absorbed energy increases by up to 74%. A comparison of the results on empty and filled specimens shows that, in some cases, the specific absorbed energies of corrugated tubes under lateral loading are higher than the specific absorbed energies of circular tubes under axial loading. This means that, by shaping the circular tubes into preformed corrugated tubes and complete corrugated tubes via the hydroforming process, a new thin-walled structure with a high specific absorbed energy during the lateral compression process is introduced.

Experimental study on the energy absorption capability of circular corrugated tubes under lateral loading and axial loading / Niknejad, A.; Abdolzadeh, Y.; Rouzegar, J.; Abbasi, M.. - In: PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PART D, JOURNAL OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING. - ISSN 0954-4070. - 229:13(2015), pp. 1739-1761. [10.1177/0954407014568130]

Experimental study on the energy absorption capability of circular corrugated tubes under lateral loading and axial loading

Abbasi M.
2015

Abstract

A new type of energy absorber called an expansion joint (i.e. a corrugated tube) is examined in this research. Several experiments are performed on three types of thin-walled specimen, namely circular tubes, preformed corrugated tubes and complete corrugated tubes, to investigate the energy absorption of steel specimens under different conditions for quasi-static lateral loading and axial loading. For this purpose, some steel specimens were compressed between two rigid platens in the axial direction, and the other specimens were laterally compressed. The preformed corrugated tubes and the complete corrugated tubes were produced by the hydroforming method. In each geometrical group of specimens, several tubes, which have different wall thicknesses, different inner diameters and different lengths and which are either empty or filled with polyurethane foam, were tested. Experiments show that, for a lateral load, the specific absorbed energies of the complete corrugated tubes are higher than those of the corresponding preformed corrugated tubes and circular tubes with the same characteristics. Tests show that, under lateral loading, a complete corrugated tube with a thicker wall and a smaller diameter is the optimum energy absorber system. Therefore, when a circular tube transforms into the corrugated tube, a better energy absorber system with a higher capability is achieved under lateral loading. Also, experiments show that, under axial loading, simple circular tubes with no forming process have higher specific absorbed energies than corrugated tubes do. Corrugated specimens have more controllable plastic deformation and a more regular deformation mode than simple tubes have. Tests under axial loading illustrate that, when the preformed corrugated tubes are filled with polyurethane foam, the specific absorbed energy increases by up to 74%. A comparison of the results on empty and filled specimens shows that, in some cases, the specific absorbed energies of corrugated tubes under lateral loading are higher than the specific absorbed energies of circular tubes under axial loading. This means that, by shaping the circular tubes into preformed corrugated tubes and complete corrugated tubes via the hydroforming process, a new thin-walled structure with a high specific absorbed energy during the lateral compression process is introduced.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
niknejad-et-al-2015-experimental-study-on-the-energy-absorption-capability-of-circular-corrugated-tubes-under-lateral.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: 2. Post-print / Author's Accepted Manuscript
Licenza: PUBBLICO - Tutti i diritti riservati
Dimensione 8.31 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
8.31 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11583/2980651