Computational Simulation of the ECE R-29 Safety Test

This paper describes a set of simulations for various testing conditions concerning the ECE R-29 standard. One test consist of a front impact of a swing bob against the vehicle cabin to verify its attachment to the frame. Others simulations include roof and rear-wall crushing to evaluate the cabin overall strength.

A durability finite element model of the vehicle has been adapted into a crashworthiness model and simulated in LS-DYNA3D. The model used represents the contact between all parts and the elasto-plastic strain failure characteristics of the materials.

Simulations have revealed some structural short falls that demanded cabin improvements in order to fulfill regulation requirements. Their results allowed the designers to predict the cabin structural behavior and then introduce improvements before the cabin prototype is built and tested.