REEV

Client: MIRDC

Keywords: FE Modelling; Crash Simulation; Thermal Runaway; Dummy Injury.

This project aims to simulate and analyze the safety of a Range-Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV). The assessment focuses on its structural crashworthiness, including the Body-in-White (BIW), battery box, and fuel tank, as well as the potential injuries to dummies. Three crash scenarios—frontal, rear, and side impacts—are simulated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) based on FMVSS standards.

The crumpling deformation of the body structure during a collision is beneficial for absorbing kinetic energy; however, the deformation of the passenger compartment within the BIW should be minimized to reduce injury to passengers. Through computer simulations, we can obtain the acceleration and forces on various parts of the dummies, and further calculate and analyze the degree of injury to those parts. This includes metrics such as the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) and Neck Injury Criterion (NIC), as well as the forces on the lumbar spine and thighs. These injury indicators are closely related to the design of the BIW.

The structural deformation of the battery module should also be limited to prevent excessive compression of the lithium battery cells, which could lead to thermal runaway and cause a fire. The fuel tank is prone to rupture during a rear-end collision due to deformation of the body structure; therefore, the crumpling deformation of the rear section of the car body structure should not be too significant. Through comprehensive vehicle crash simulation analysis, we can identify structural weaknesses and provide customers with suggestions for structural design improvements.