In rally competition cars, the safety of vehicle occupants is currently projected without precise regulations. In order to reduce design time and control testing costs, finite element approaches and numerical comparisons between different solutions are used to reduce costs and improve performance.
Within, a methodology and case study for attainting this goal are proposed. Using a numerical model of a rally car, different materials are compared and design indications are noted.
A numerical non-linear model of half of a competition car roll-cage and its related door parts is built, in order to simulate the dynamics of lateral impact with a tree. Several numerical tests are conducted with the different absorbent materials and with different design solutions. Based on the deformation energy and acceleration of the roll-cage structure, an evaluation criterion is proposed.
The presented methodology allows finding the best compromise of lightness and energy absorption in designing the lateral part of car chassis.