Heavy vehicle frontal sled crash test analysis – chest deflection response in the Hybrid III dummy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse the Hybrid III dummy chest loading in heavy vehicle frontal crashes. In total, eight truck front-to-trailer-type sled tests were performed. The Hybrid III, in driver position, was equipped with the chest deflection sensor system RibEye and its standard potentiometer sensor was compared with the RibEye deflection data. The chest impact point was established by using Fuji film impression, as well as from video data. Chest-to-steering wheel rim contact occurred in all tests. Differences in chest loading were found between the Hybrid III dummy reference test and the load case identified in this study, predominantly impact velocity, direction, distribution and location of loading. The steering wheel rim contact is the major contributor to chest deflection. The chest deformation consists of anterior/posterior compression and upward deflection of the sternal plate. The Hybrid III standard chest deflection sensor is not reliable in this load case due to the modes of sternal displacement and the single-point measurement location. Combining the RibEye system with global dummy kinematic data and accurate contact detection is required to fully assess chest deflection. New biomechanical data are needed to adapt the injury risk assessment to the identified load case.

Keywords:

• truck
• sled test
• steering wheel
• Hybrid III
• chest
• RibEye

Acknowledgements

This work was carried out at SAFER: Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers, Sweden. It was funded by the Swedish Vehicle Research Program (PFF) through VINNOVA, Sweden.