Experimental and numerical investigation of energy absorption of foam-filled cylindrical tubes with initiator

In this paper, axial crushing of foam-filled cylindrical aluminium tubes with initiator is investigated. For this purpose, an initiator is placed at the top of the foam-filled tube to prevent a sudden force applied to the main part of the structure when the accident occurs. In this new design model, several numerical simulations using ABAQUS 5.6 finite element explicit code are carried out to study the effects of length initiator on crashworthiness characteristics of the foam-filled thin-walled cylindrical tubes. In order to verify these numerical results, a series of quasi-static axial compression tests are performed. Moreover, load-displacement curves and deformation mechanism of the structure under axial compression are described. The results show that the initiator reduces the intensity of damage to the main structure and occupants.