Title
Optimization of rear low-speed crash structures for a Solar Electric Vehicle
Author
Potkamp, Storm (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering; Lightyear)
Contributor
Sinke, Jos (mentor)
Grooten, Roel (graduation committee)
Degree granting institution
Delft University of Technology
Programme
Aerospace Engineering
Date
2020-03-04
Abstract
A Solar Electric Vehicle is a vehicle that receives a significant amount of its total energy consumption through sunlight gathered using solar arrays. The main objective of this thesis was to determine how the design of the rear low-speed crash structures should be different for a Solar Electric Vehicle, compared to conventional cars. This is done by creating a general optimization tool that can be used for the conceptual design of the rear low-speed crash structures of passenger cars. Next to the structural performance during three low-speed load cases, the manufacturing cost and intrusion distance are also taken into account. It was found that for a Solar Electric Vehicle the intrusion distance should be reduced in order to increase the size of the solar arrays (and therefore their yield) without damaging them during low-speed rear impact, even though this comes with a weight penalty.
Subject
Crash structures
Bumper beam
Crash box
Optimization
Intrusion distance
Solar Electric Vehicle
Lightyear One
CAE
MatLab
ANSYS
Progressive folding
Progressive crushing
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:21133a29-8d5c-4d8a-8520-6a28c1059629
Embargo date
2025-03-04
Coordinates
51.474307, 5.620022
Part of collection
Student theses
Document type
master thesis
Rights
© 2020 Storm Potkamp