Repeatability of Full-Scale Crash Tests and Criteria for Validating Simulation Results

A method of comparing two acceleration time histories to determine whether they describe similar physical events is described. The method can be used to assess the repeatability of full-scale crash tests and it can also be used as a criterion for assessing how well a finite-element analysis of a collision event simulates a corresponding full-scale crash test. The method is used to compare a series of six identical crash tests and then is used to compare several finite-element analyses with full-scale crash test results.