A modified finite element dummy model of Chinese adult male used for train collision simulations

ABSTRACT

This work established a modified finite element (FE) dummy model representing the Chinese 50th percentile males through the whole segment scaling method, referring to the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS-AM50) of European and American 50th percentile males. The head, neck, chest, abdomen, and knee-thigh-hip (KTH) of the modified model were validated, respectively, by the cadaver experimental results. Integrating the dummy models with a four-car marshalling train collision FE model, we analysed the dynamic response in terms of human body posture, head, and neck injuries of the Chinese 50th percentile males and the European and American 50th percentile males during the frontal train collision process. The corresponding simulation results fitted well with the experimental tests, indicating that the established modified model exerted great biological fidelity. Compared with European-American 50th percentile males, the Von-Mises stress, shear stress, maximum principal strain (MPS), and the cumulative strain damage measure CSDM_0.15 of the brain in the Chinese 50th percentile males were approximately higher by 22.21%, 19.85%, 36.58%, and 47.55%, respectively. That meant the Chinese males might be at a higher risk of brain contusion and diffuse axonal injury (DAI) during the train collision. Meanwhile, the Chinese 50th percentile males had more severe neck extension, especially the maximum cervical vertebrae Von-Mises stress and neck injury predictor (N_ij) were increased by 30.3% and 50%, respectively. The established modified model could provide a more accurate simulation for predicting the Chinese body injury response during the train collision.

KEYWORDS:

• Anthropometry
• biomechanics
• kinematic response
• head injury assessment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The THUMS model is openly available at https://www.toyota.co.jp/thums/download/list, and the data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors greatly appreciate the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 12122211) and the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan (Grant no. 2022NSFSC0035). We also thank Toyota Motor Corporation for free access to the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS).