csi Newsletter 2022 english

08 | macsi_mum | 2022
CRASH STRUCTURES IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES
HEAD-
ON
A head-on collision with an electric vehicle. That could be a horror scenario.
Or, as in our case, an interesting and successful joint project with acs, Automotive Center
Südwestfalen GmbH. Together with eleven further collaborative partners, we, that is ALU-CAR,
considered the differences in the body works of electric vehicles compared to combustion
engine models in accidents. The entire project was entitled "LACEF – Load path appropriate
design of crash structures in electric vehicles". The fact that there is no solid engine block
with electric drives changes the fundamental conditions and structures. The vehicle weight
thus increases due to the traction battery, and the centre of gravity shifts. Apart from developing
innovative concepts, the focus within the project body was also on achieving a fundamental
understanding of crash-relevant structures in the frame vehicle front. We think we achieved –
together with the 11 other companies involved and acs, which was responsible for the project –
and were able to contribute towards developing interesting approaches.
INTELLIGENT MIXED AND
LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION:
ESSENTIAL IN ELECTRIC
VEHICLES.
ACCIDENT-FREE:
FROM COMBUSTION VEHICLES
TO ELECTRIC MOBILITY.
The objective of the project was to understand
HALF A DOZEN IDEAS.
Twelve project partners, six concepts – that’s a
good average and it shows that there is more
than one correct answer or solution in struc-
A plethora of new ideas and contacts resulted
from the cooperation with companies and experts
from various sectors, from which we at
ALU-CAR will also certainly benefit. That is why
We need to take into account the altered general
the altered conditions in electric vehicles and
ture optimisation as well. You can reach the
we would like to thank acs for the opportunity
conditions to enable people to walk away from
develop alternative load path concepts with
goal along different paths, depending on your
to be involved in this joint project, as well as all
a crash in an electric car unscathed. That means
the help of simulation models. To do this, an FE
preferred designs, materials and manufactur-
the project partners for the truly constructive
that the hollow cavity, that is the area in which
model of a real combustion engine vehicle was
ing technologies. In the Automotive Center
time.
the engine block would usually be mounted,
converted into a simple electric model then and
Südwestfalen GmbH LACEF project, two differ-
needs to be filled or stabilised in another way.
there. It was clear even from the first investiga-
ent concepts with a comparable crash perfor-
If you would like to find out more about this pro-
That is also best accomplished in this case with
tions: the structures of the vehicle front of an
mance were ultimately implemented and de-
ject, more information and a short video about
sound knowledge and experience. We are ex-
electric vehicle experience significantly higher
veloped in detail as the project progressed. The
the two concepts can be viewed
perts in materials, joining techniques and ma-
loads in a crash than combustion engine models
main load path in the two alternatives varies
at the following link: www.
terial interfaces, as we have already developed
in which the engine block absorbs much of the
while the lower and upper support load paths
acs-innovations.de/leistungen/
body concepts for different types of drive as an
energy. No surprises there, but this represent-
are identical.
verbundprojekte/lacef
established vehicle developer and lightweight
ed the initial basis for finding alternatives in a
construction specialist. Of course, we were
multi-stage development process. A total of six
Concept I involves extruded aluminium profiles
more than happy to apply this knowledge and
possible concept drawings were developed with
which form a framework structure, an approach
expertise to the joint LACEF project and look at
the help of FEM analysis, which determines the
that could be described as traditional. Concept
"design work" in our role as project partner. We
fatigue strength and deformation of solid bod-
II is clearly more unconventional: it involves an
were also available to the other project stake-
ies with a geometrically complex shape, cou-
innovative sandwich sheet steel structure which
holders in an advisory capacity for crash design.
pled with various optimisation programmes.
absorbs the impact energy and meets the speci-
These initial, rough designs were compared
fied target parameters.
and discussed with the experts and companies
involved.
SEBASTIAN OCHSENFELD,
LACEF PROJECT MANAGER