Abstract
To improve the safety performance and light weight of the bumper subsystem under low-speed collisions with multiple loads, this study develops a systematic optimization strategy. First, the accuracy of the finite element model is verified through experiments. Meanwhile, the crashworthiness of the three different bumper beams made of aluminum alloy, high-strength steel, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is compared and analyzed. Second, the optimal combination of single-layer thickness and lay-up angle of the CFRP bumper beam is discussed. Finally, an optimization strategy combining Hammersley experimental design, hybrid approximation model, NSGA-II algorithm, combined weights, and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution and grey relational analysis (TOPSIS&GRA) integrated decision is proposed and applied to the optimal design of the CFRP bumper beam. The optimization results show that the optimized CFRP bumper beam is 57.18% lighter than the original aluminum composite bumper beam while meeting the requirements of crashworthiness.
Disclosure statement
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.