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Crashworthiness analysis and multiobjective robust optimization of two-stage variable thickness expansion tube under impact loading

  • Industrial Application Paper
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Abstract

Improving the crashworthiness performance of the expansion tube of the coupler system using the limited deformation space at the vehicle end is of vital significance for the collision safety of trains. Nevertheless, an optimal design could become less meaningful or even unacceptable when some uncertainties are present. To address the issue, this paper firstly proposes a two-stage variable thickness expansion tube for the coupler system and investigates its crashworthiness performance through the impact test and finite element (FE) simulation. Associated with the verified FE model, parametric studies are performed to evaluate the effects of design variables on specific energy absorption (SEA), maximum crushing force (Fmax) and crushing force efficiency (CFE). The results show that variation in thickness (\(t_{1}\), \(t_{2}\)) of different stages for the expansion tube has a significant effect on CFE, but they have no obvious effects on the SEA. Meanwhile, \(r_{in}\) and α have a significant effect on SEA, while they have a smaller effect on CFE. Furthermore, a multiobjective robust optimization process is developed to address the effects of parametric uncertainties of the expansion tube on design optimization, which comprises a sampling approach, surrogate model, six-sigma-based robust design, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II, Monte Carlo verification and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution. It is found that the reliability of constraints (Fmax, Fm) of multiobjective robust optimization is increased from 87.0 to 94.4% in the case of two objectives (max [CFE, SEA]) and from 90.0 to 93.3% in the case of three objectives (max [CFE, SEA,− Fmax]) compared to those in the deterministic optimization, respectively. Meanwhile, CFE and SEA values in the cases of two objectives (max [CFE, SEA]) and three objectives (max [CFE, SEA,− Fmax]) are improved by 17.95%, 5.30% and 16.57%, 15.62% compared to the original structure, respectively. Thus, it was demonstrated that the proposed procedure is effective and can be used to multiobjective robust optimization problems in practical engineering applications.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51975588).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd, Zhuzhou, 412001, China

    **hong ** & Jun Lu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Heavy Duty AC Drive Electric Locomotive Systems Integration, Zhuzhou, 412001, China

    **hong ** & Jun Lu

  3. Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety On the Track (Central South University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410075, China

    Weiyuan Guan

  4. National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Safety Technology for Rail Traffic Vehicle, Central South University, Changsha, 410075, China

    Weiyuan Guan

Authors
  1. **hong **
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  2. Jun Lu
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Correspondence to Weiyuan Guan.

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**, X., Lu, J. & Guan, W. Crashworthiness analysis and multiobjective robust optimization of two-stage variable thickness expansion tube under impact loading. Struct Multidisc Optim 65, 178 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-022-03267-0

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