Development
and Application
1
Briefing Agenda
• Motivating Factors in Thor Development
• Pre Thor Development Efforts
• Thor Design & Component Performance
• Field Test and Evaluation Results
• Summary Anticipated Benefits and Capabilities
• Ongoing Development Activities
• Hardware Demonstration
2
Motivating Factors in Thor
Development
• Emergence of sophisticated restraint design and occupant
protection hardware and strategies
• 20+ years of new anthropometric and biomechanical
response data
• Changing injury patterns and priorities
• Availability of improved injury assessment formulations
• Hybrid III design dates to 1976
3
PreThor Development
Efforts
• UK Activities 1970’s
• NHTSA Efforts:
– Advanced Frontal ATD Concept Definition Study
– Anthropometry of Vehicle Seated Occupants
– TAD50M Development
– Exploration of New Neck and Lower Extremity Concepts
■ Participants: NHTSA R&D, UMTRI, FTSS, SAE Task Forces, GM
Research, ASTC, Wayne State University
4
Prior Art In ATD
Thorax Design (196977)
Searle, Warner, et al (UK)
5
Comparative
Human and
Hybrid III
Skeletal
Structure
Shoulder
Belt
Hybrid III
Dummy
Rib Cage
3 inches
6
Hybrid III Shoulders, Lower
Ribcage, and Abdomen Detail
7
Frontal Thorax/ Abdomen
Aorta
Lung
Lung Heart
Rib Cage
Liver
Spleen
Gall Bladder Stomach
Colon
Intestine
8
9
NHTSA/ UMTRI
Anthropometry Study
10
TAD 50M (1992)
NHTSA/ UMTRI/ FTSS/ GMR
11
TAD 50M: Four Point 3D Thorax
Deflection Measurement
12
TAD – 50 M Comparative Thorax XY Deflection Plots
Air Bag/Lap Belt ThreePoint Belt
X Displacement (mm)
X Displacement (mm)
Left Right Left T=0 Right
T=40
T=120
T=120
29 T=80 29 T=80
39 39
Y Displacement (mm) Y Displacement (mm)
TAD Test 478 Air Bag/Lap Belt, 48 Kph – TAD Test 475 ThreePoint Belt, 48 Kph –
Sternal Sensors (Top View) Sternal Sensors (Top View)
Left
X Displacement (mm)
X Displacement (mm)
T=80
29 29
39 39
Y Displacement (mm) Y Displacement (mm)
TAD Test 489 Air Bag/Lap Belt, 48 Kph – TAD Test 475 ThreePoint Belt, 48 Kph –
Lower Sensors (Top View) Lower Sensors (Top View) 13
TAD – 50 M Comparative Thorax XY Deflection Plots (Cont’d)
ThreePoint Belt TwoPoint Belt/Bolster
X Displacement (mm)
X Displacement (mm)
Left T=0 Right Left Right
T=120 T=40 T=40
T=120
29 T=80 29
T=80
39 39
Y Displacement (mm) Y Displacement (mm)
TAD Test 475 ThreePoint Belt, 48 Kph – TAD Test 477 TwoPoint Belt/Knee Bolster,
Sternal Sensors (Top View) 48 Kph – Sternal Sensors (Top View)
X Displacement (mm)
Left
X Displacement (mm)
Right Left Right
T=0 T=0
T=120T=40 T=40
T=120
29 T=80 T=80
29
39 39
Y Displacement (mm) Y Displacement (mm)
TAD Test 475 ThreePoint Belt, 48 Kph – TAD Test 477 TwoPoint Belt/Knee Bolster,
Lower Sensors (Top View) 48 Kph – Lower Sensors (Top View)
14
15
Thor Development
• 19941999 NHTSA/ GESAC Inc.
– Scope of Development:
■ Refine TAD50M Thorax and Instrumentation
■ New Instrumented Face
■ New Multidirectional Neck
■ New Instrumented Abdomen
■ Revised Pelvic Segmentation and Instrumentation
■ Revised Femur and Tibia
■ New Foot/ Ankle and Instrumentation
■ OnBoard DAS Feasibility
16
Head/ Face
• Head Biofidelity [Hodgson,
1975]
– head drop (same as Hybrid
III)
• Face Impact
[Melvin, 1989]
– 6.7 m/s distributed impact
– 3.6 m/s rod impact
17
Head/ Face
• Design Features
– modified Melvin head/face
– measures load at 5 locations
on face
– reusable material (Confor
foam)
• Biofidelity
[Wismans, 1983,87]
– head trajectory
– total moment at O.C.
– frontal flexion
■ 15 G & 8 G
– lateral flexion
■ 7 G
19
Neck
SPRING HOUSINGS
FRONT REAR
• Design Features
LOAD
CELL – front & rear spring
assemblies
UPPER NECK
LOAD CELL ■ models passive musculature
FRONT CABLE
REAR CABLE – neck column of alternating
ALUMINUM DISKS
rubber & aluminum plates
SAFETY CABLE
RUBBER PUCKS – elliptical cross section
FLEXION EXTENSION
STOP STOPS
LOWER NECK
LOAD CELL
20
Neck
SPRING HOUSINGS
• Instrumentation
FRONT REAR
LOAD
CELL – 6axis load cells in upper &
lower neck
UPPER NECK
LOAD CELL – load cells in front & rear
FRONT CABLE
REAR CABLE springs
ALUMINUM DISKS – rotary pot at O.C. to measure
SAFETY CABLE
RUBBER PUCKS
head rotation
FLEXION EXTENSION
STOP STOPS
LOWER NECK
LOAD CELL
21
Thorax
• Biofidelity
– sternal impact
[Neathery, 1974]
■ 4.3 m/s & 6.7 m/s
– lower ribcage impact
[Yoganandan, 1997]
■ oblique at 4.3 m/s
22
Thorax
• Design Features
– humanlike shape
■ seven slanted & elliptical ribs
■ lower rib dimensions
gradually increase
– ribs proven to be very
durable
23
Thorax
• Instrumentation
– triaxial accelerometers at
C.G.
– Crux units
■ 3D deflections
■ at four locations at front of
ribcage
– 5axis load cell near T12
24
Shoulder
• Biofidelity
– allows greater mobility in
fore/aft motion
– allows some degree of shrug
motion
25
Shoulder
• Design Features
– fourbar linkage design
■ allows fore/aft movement
■ limited shrug movement
– humanlike clavicle
■ for more realistic belt
interaction
– shoulder pads
26
Spine
• Biofidelity
– only limited static information
– improves overall flexibility
– replicate various human
seating postures
[Reynolds, 1996]
27
Spine
UPPER THORACIC
WELDMENT NECK PITCH
CHANGE MECHANISM
• Design Features
– flexible elements at upper
UPPER THORACIC
thoracic spine (T7/T8)
– flexible element at lumbar
LOWER THORACIC FLEX JOINT
WELDMENT
LOAD CELL
ADAPTOR PLATE
T12 TRIAXIAL COVER
LUMBAR
FLEX JOINT
PELVIS / LUMBAR
MOUNTING BLOCK
28
Spine
• Instrumentation
T1 TRIAXIAL
ACCELEROMETER
NECK TILT
SENSOR ASSEMBLY – triaxial accelerometers at T1
and T12
– 5axis load cell below T12
LOWER THORACIC SPINE
THORACIC TILT SENSOR ASSEMBLY
SPINE LOAD
CELL LUMBAR SPINE
TILT SENSOR
ASSEMBLY
T12 TRIAXIAL
ACCELEROMETER & PELVIC TILT SENSOR
MOUNTING BRACKET ASSEMBLY
29
Abdomen
• Biofidelity
– lower abdomen impacts at 6
m/s
[Cavanaugh, 1986]
– upper abdomen impact
[Nusholtz, 1994]
30
Abdomen
STRING POTENTIOMETER
LOWER
ABDOMEN
31
Abdomen
STRING POTENTIOMETER
■ uniaxial accelerometer
– Lower abdomen
DGSP UNIT
■ right and left DGSP units
measure 3D deflections
LOWER
ABDOMEN
32
Pelvis
• Biofidelity
– based on average 50th
percentile male data
[Reynolds, 1982]
■ models iliac spine, posterior
spine, Dpoint
– flesh/skin has humanlike
forcedeflection
characteristics
33
Pelvis
• Instrumentation
– right and left 3axis
acetabular load cells
■ measure magnitude and
direction of femur loading
– iliac load buttons
■ capture submarining
information
34
Femur
• Biofidelity
– axial impact at knee [Horsch,
1986]
• Design Features
– can mate with HIII pelvis
– compliant element in femur
– uses HIII knee
35
Lower Leg/ Ankle/ Foot
• Biofidelity
[Crandall, 1996]
– Anthropometry
– Axial load through heel
– Ankle
■ static dorsiflexion &
plantarflexion
■ static inversion & eversion
■ dynamic dorsiflexion
36
Lower Leg/ Ankle/ Foot
• Design Features
HYBRID III – separate joints for xflexion
KNEE ASSEMBLY
KNEE BUMPER and xversion
TIBIA GUARD – Achilles spring/ cable
ACHILLES
ASSEMBLY
– carbon fiber foot
TIBIA SKIN – continuously increasing joint
resistance
ANKLE
ASSEMBLY FOOT ASSEMBLY
& SKIN
37
Lower leg/ Ankle/ Foot
UPPER TIBIA
• Instrumentation
LOAD CELL
(Fx, Fz, Mx, My)
– Upper & lower tibia 4axis
ACHILLES SPRING
LOAD CELL TRIAXIAL
load cells
– tibia & foot triax
ACCELEROMETER
LOWER TIBIA
accelerometers
– rotary pots for X, Y, Z axis
LOAD CELL
(Fx, Fz, Mx, My)
ANKLE ROTATION
motion
– Achilles’ load cell
MEASUREMENT
( X, Y, Z )
TRIAXIAL
ACCELEROMETER
38
Thor Test & Evaluation Partners
• Europe • Asia/ Pacific
■
Volvo Car, Saab, Autoliv Research AB ■ JAMA/ Japan Automobile Research
■ Renault Institute
– EEVC/ ADRIA: ■ Federal Office of Road Safety
■ Transport Research Laboratory (Australia)
■ TNO
■ Autoliv Australia
■ Polytechnic University of Madrid
• North America
■ Transport Canada
■ USCAR (GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler)
■ Honda Research of America
■ University of Virginia
■ U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
■ U.S. Department of Defense
39
Test Configuration Summary
• Sled Test Configurations (~ 150 tests)
– impact speeds: 48 kph to 64 kph
– decelerations: 16 G to >30 G
– impact direction: longitudinal, rear, oblique
– restraint systems:
■ belt and air bag combinations
■ standard & forcelimiting belts
• Vehicle Test Configurations (~ 15 tests)
– full frontal at 56 kph (U.S. NCAP)
– offset deformable barrier at 64 kph
40
Thor Capabilities Examples
• Evaluate head strike potential
• Discriminate between restraint systems
• Evaluate OOP situations
• Assess abdominal intrusion
• Measure pelvic loads and injury potential
• Evaluate tibia/ ankle/ foot response and injury
potential
41
Evaluate Head Trajectory
• Allows for humanlike
head motion
• Biofidelity in head
trajectory in 15 G frontal
head/neck sled tests
42
Evaluate Head Trajectory
• Biofidelic head trajectory
means Thor can be used
for evaluating likelihood
of head strike against
vehicle panels.
43
Biofidelic Head/ Neck Response
• Instrumentation allows
for calculation of total
moment about O.C.
• Momentangle response
falls within Mertz corridor
44
Evaluate Restraint Systems
• New measurement
system allows evaluation
of XY deflection data of
thorax.
• Data can be used to
discriminate between
baglike and beltlike
environments.
45
Evaluate Restraint Systems
• Evaluate influence of bag and belt loading
sequence.
• Can be used to optimize sequencing to improve
efficiency of forcelimiting belts.
46
Evaluate Restraint Systems
– Shows a system with
early belt
engagement
– Response is beltlike
– Shows reduction in
chest deflection
47
Evaluate Restraint Systems
– shows response from
early bag engagement
– response is baglike
– small reduction in chest
deflection
48
Evaluate Lower Thoracic Injury
• Greater flexibility of lower
ribcage and
measurement capability
in this region allows Thor
to pickup likelihood of
damage to internal
organs in this area.
49
Evaluate Abdomen Intrusion
• New abdomen deflection
instrumentation and
humanlike abdomen
response can track
abdomen intrusion in
time.
50
Evaluate OOP Tests
• New Crux system
responds correctly to
high speed thoracic
impacts at 10 m/s and
greater.
• Can be used for
evaluating OOP
response.
51
ThorLx Advanced Lower Extremity
-500
-1000
Force (N)
-1500
-2000
-2500 Pendulum tests
-3000
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
Time (msec)
Cadaver Thor-Lx
53
ThorLx: Right Tibia Fz Response
Honda Full Vehicle Tests
5000
4000
Force (N)
3000
2000
1000
0
-1000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (msec)
Frontal ODB
54
ThorLx: Right Ankle Angular Response
DorsiPlantar Flexion
Honda Full Vehicle Tests
50
40
Angle (Degree)
30
20
10
0
-10
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (msec)
Frontal ODB
55
ThorLx: Ankle X Y Response
Honda Frontal Full Vehicle Tests
Y Rot. (Deg)---->Dorsiflexion
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-5 0 5 10 15 20 25
Eversion<----X Rot.(Deg)---->Inversion
Left Right
56
Comparison: Right Tibia Fz Response
Honda Full Vehicle Frontal Tests
5000
4000
Force (N)
3000
2000
1000
0
-1000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (msec)
Thor-Lx HIII
57
RecapAnticipated Safety Benefits
• Frontal, frontal offset, frontal oblique, OOP
– Bag/belt performance optimization
– Improved head strike assessment
– Face contact detection and injury assessment
– Detection of abdomen interaction with bag, belt, and wheel
rim
– Improved hip joint injury assessment
– Advanced ankle/ foot injury assessment
58
Additional Thor Benefits & Features
■ Realistic “seatprint” buttocks to seat interface
■ Submarining detection features
■ Assessment of influence of occupant posture on restraint
performance
59
Future Products
■ Thor FE model (in LS Dyna)
■ Onboard DAS
■ Small female Thor design (with onboard DAS)
■ Lower extremity design with prebracing
capability
■ Instrumentation development and enhancements
■ Treatments for compatibility with anticipated
occupant ranging and classification technologies
60
Release of Thor
Documentation
• To be released to the public domain early in 2000:
– CAD drawings
– User manuals
– Final reports
– Test and evaluation summaries
61
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