Dynamic Testing and CAE Modeling of Body Mount An Application in the Frontal Impact Analysis of a Body-on-Frame Vehicle

This study is a systematic investigation of the body mounts' dynamic characteristics in component, sub-system and full system levels and its application in the frontal impact analysis of a body-on-frame (BOF) vehicle. Concluded from the component study, the body mount is modeled by non-linear spring with built-in damage and rupture properties. The sub-system study reveals the importance of modeling the interaction between the body mount and its surrounding structure. A general-purpose interaction modeling is developed to provide a realistic CAE simulation of this interaction behavior. The full system is mainly for methodology validation. Four 90-degree frontal and the one IIHS offset frontal crash tests are used to evaluate the performance of the body mount in low and high speeds and its capability of predicting the body mount and the floor pan failures.