AN OPTIMIZATION METHODOLOGY FOR IMPROVING CAR-TO-CAR COMPATIBILITY

Crash compatibility of a car fleet can be attained by simultaneous optimization of the car structures for all crash scenarios, with respect to self and partner protection. In this paper the approach is illustrated using detailed three-dimensional rigid body car models of a Neon Chrysler and a Ford Taurus. Only frontal crashes were considered for the time being. The simulations show that optimization to obtain a minimal sum of the HIC''s of the dummies in both cars is possible. The compatible solution however showed a slight increase in HIC for the self-protection case, which means that self- protection may suffer from compatibility measures. In future studies more car models and crash scenarios will be taken into account.