Modelling vehicle body structures for active buckling control

This paper introduces the concept of active buckling control and how it can be applied to vehicle body structures to improve safety. Active buckling control is achieved through the use of actively controlled materials, whereby the mechanical properties of a structure can be altered. The need for active buckling control is prompted by compatibility issues arising when vehicles of dissimilar mass collide. Effectively, the active buckling control system can stiffen the more vulnerable vehicle, as a result, sharing the collision energy more appropriately and improving the safety of the occupants. A model of a nonlinear force versus deformation characteristic is used within a simulation study to demonstrate the active buckling control concept; thereby reducing the undesirable energy distribution so that the collision energy is absorbed more appropriately