A Comparison of THOR 50M Anthropomorphic Test Devices in Frontal Sled Tests When Equipped with and without On-Board Data Acquisition

This paper summarizes a series of matched-pair frontal sled tests using the Test device for Human Occupant Restraint 50th Percentile Male (THOR-50M) anthropomorphic test device (ATD). Testing was conducted to compare the response of an ATD equipped with an on-board data acquisition system (DAS) to that of one equipped with an off-board system. Sled testing was performed using a modified version of NHTSA’s Gold-Standard test method consisting of a generic buck with a ridged seat and a 3-point seatbelt system. Eight tests were conducted, all using a common generic 30 km/h crash pulse with a peak deceleration of 9 G’s, and a 2.5 kN load limiting 3-point seatbelt retractors without pretentioners. Four tests were conducted with each ATD, two tests with a left shoulder belt routing and two with a right shoulder belt routing to allow for evaluation of the ATD repeatability under each belt routing. Attention was given to the potential for a heating effect of the on-board DAS to influence the dummy response; particularly the chest deflection response given the damping material is sensitive to temperature and could result in reduced rib stiffness as the temperature increased. Statistical analysis of the testing showed that the kinematics and injury response of the ATD’s with and without on-board DAS were generally within reasonable test-to-test variation with exception of the measured chest deflection. There was notable variation in the measured chest deflection for the left versus right shoulder belt routing on the same dummy as well as increased measured chest deflection for the ATD with the off-board data acquisition system. Analysis of the internal ATD temperature showed that there was not a significant increase in the ATD temperature with the on-board DAS dummy compared to the baseline ATD with off-board DAS indicating that the on-board DAS did not result in heating that would influence the dummy response.