GVTR: a generic vehicle test rig representative of the contemporary European vehicle fleet

In the ACEA funded project ProPose a generic vehicle model was developed: (1) It was specifically developed for replicating the leg-loads in pedestrian accidents. (2) It is representative of the contemporary European sedans meeting FlexPLI requirements. (3) It is available in numerical and experimental environment. (4) It is intended for investigating the performance of aPLI, for validating numerical models of advanced legform impactors like aPLI and for the comparison of kinematics and responses of different HBM lower limbs. The structural impact response of vehicle front ends was captured with impactors: A rigid cylinder was equipped with 20 contact force transducers along its axis. The impactor’s motion was prescribed, such that an intrusion of (up to) 120mm was consistently achieved. Tests were conducted at four levels along the vehicle height (spoiler through bonnet leading edge) and at six positions along the lateral axis of the vehicle. The contact forces of individual force transducers were assigned to the four contact regions (spoiler, bumper, grill and bonnet leading edge). Impactor tests were conducted against nine sedans, eight SUVs and three sportscars. For each vehicle category median force-penetration characteristics were established. The geometry of the CoHerent models was adopted (and cross-checked against the median reference lines established in the study ProPose). In the numerical environment the GVTR was tested in impacts with full human body models, an isolated leg with an upper body mass and a beta-release of aPLI. In the experimental environment the GVTR was tested with aPLI and FlexPLI. Body loads in GVTR-vs-HBM and a selected vehicle-vs-HBM match very well. The same applies when comparing full HBM and isolated leg loads. The study included vehicles provided by German, Czech and French manufacturers. The GVTR’s structure and geometry is very simplistic for the sake of repeatability, robustness, testing costs and avoidance of error sources in the numerical model of GVTR.