Energy absorption behavior of tapered and ribbed thin-walled structures under compressive crushing forces

Abstract

This paper investigates the energy absorption behavior of straight and tapered square, hexagonal and octagonal tubes with two types ribbed connection inside. The parameters studied are the geometry of section, rib configuration and taper angle. In this study, a numerical model is introduced and justified by both the analytical and numerical models in the literature. The results show that octagonal tubes have the highest energy absorption capacity followed by hexagonal and square sections. The ribbed profiles have better energy absorption per unit mass by an increased number of corners. The energy absorption per unit mass and crushing force efficiency decrease with increasing taper angle.Results also indicate that the tapered profile delivers more stable crushing behavior. The research findings can be used to quantify energy absorption in the design of energy absorbers for impact applications.