Browse Topic: Safety testing and procedures

Items (5,484)
Path selection for the transport of hazardous materials (Hazmats) is a multi-facet decision problem that needs to account for multiple factors such as accident risk as well as transportation cost. Most existing literature has modeled the risk of Hazmats transportation as the product of accident loss, and its probability-based expected utility theory, however, could be problematic since such a risk definition does not necessarily reflect the real perceived risk by the decision-maker. This article proposes a novel approach to the path selection of Hazmats transportation based on the cumulative prospect theory (CPT). Specific steps in the decision of path selection are first laid out in the framework of CPT. Value (Loss) functions of accident in Hazmats transportation are then derived, together with the decision weighting function reflecting accident probabilities. For illustration, a case study is conducted using transportation data from a Hazmats transportation firm in Shanghai
Wang, XuleiSun, Chunwei
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the thoracic responses of the 50th-percenitle male Hybrid III, THOR, and post mortem human surrogates (PMHS) in the rear seat during frontal sled tests using conventional and advanced restraints in multiple vehicle environments. Twenty-one sled tests were conducted using the Hybrid III and THOR in seven vehicle bucks, and 12 PMHS sled tests were performed using four vehicle bucks. Trends in chest deflections between vehicles and restraint conditions were compared between surrogates. The Hybrid III and THOR thoracic injury risk predictions were compared to the thoracic skeletal damage observed during the PMHS tests. The Hybrid III chest deflections were statistically significantly greater for vehicles equipped with conventional restraints compared to those equipped with advanced restraints. The THOR chest deflections generally followed this trend, but the differences between restraint types were not statistically significant. Hence, the THOR
Albert, Devon L.Bianco, Samuel T.Guettler, Allison J.Boyle, David M.Kemper, Andrew R.Hardy, Warren N.
Mining operations are important to industrial growth, but they expose the mining workers to risk including hazardous gases, elevated ambient temperatures, and dynamic structural instabilities within underground environments. Safety systems in the past, typically based on fixed sensor networks or manual patrols, fall short in accurate hazard detection amidst shifting mine conditions. The proposed project Miner's Safety Bot advanced this paradigm by leveraging an ESP 32 microcontroller as a mobile platform that integrates gas sensing, thermal monitoring, visual inspection and autonomous obstacle avoidance. The system incorporates MQ7 semiconductor gas sensor to monitor real time carbon monoxide (CO), offering detection range from 5 to 2000 ppm with accuracy of 5 ppm. Temperature and humidity are monitored through DHT11 digital sensor, calibrated to ensure reliability across the harsh microclimates in mines. Navigation and autonomous movement are enabled by Ultrasonic Sensor (HC-SR04
D, SuchitraD, AnithaMuthukumaran, BalasubramaniamMohanraj, SiddharthSubash Chandra Bose, Rohan
At present, commercial air travel rules do not allow people to sit in their own wheelchairs during flight. However, airline seating often does not meet medical needs. In response to current requests to allow this seating option, we researched the crashworthiness and safety of wheelchairs for potential use in aircraft. For motor vehicle travel, many wheelchairs meet voluntary standards for crashworthiness and safety per RESNA WC19. This project assesses whether WC19-compliant wheelchairs can meet FAA aircraft seating standards when secured using 4-point tiedowns. For the FAA horizontal impact testing, computer modeling indicated that a trapezoidal sled pulse was sufficient to represent the more typical triangular pulse, and that due to the flexibility of the tiedown webbing, the effect of the simulated pitch/roll element was minimal. During the initial two horizontal impact tests, fracture of the left front wheelchair caster was observed. The remaining five wheelchairs were tested with
Klinich, Kathleen D.Manary, Miriam A.Boyle, Kyle J.Vallier, TylerOrton, Nichole R.
The automotive industry is rapidly advancing towards autonomous vehicles, making sensors such as Cameras, LiDAR, and RADAR critical components for ensuring constant information exchange between the vehicle and its surrounding environment. However, these sensors are vulnerable to harsh environmental conditions like rain, dirt, snow, and bird droppings, which can impair their functionality and disrupt accurate vehicle maneuvers. To ensure all sensors operate effectively, dedicated cleaning is implemented, particularly for Level 3 and higher autonomous vehicles. It is important to test sensor cleaning mechanisms across different weather conditions and vehicle operating scenarios to ensure reliability and performance. One crucial aspect of testing is tracking the trajectory of the cleaning fluid to ensure it does not cause self-soiling of vehicles and affects the field of view or visibility zones of other components like the windshield. While wind tunnel tests are valuable, digitalizing
Mane, SuvidyaMakam, Sri Lalith MadhavVarghese, RixsonDesu, Harsha
Human Body Models (HBMs) are increasingly recognized by consumer protection agencies as essential tools for evaluating vehicle safety, complementing the use of traditional Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs). However, HBMs are new for product development and pose challenges in connecting them with the ATDs. These challenges can be overcome if a link is established for the injury metrics between HBMs and ATDs. The study aims to develop a chest deflection mapping function between the HBM Connect® 50M and three ATD models: Hybrid III 50M, THOR-50M and World SID 50M for thoracic assessment in impact scenarios. Several frontal and lateral thorax loading scenarios were selected from the HBM4VT qualification catalogue (Euro NCAP technical bulletin CP 550), including hub impacts and table-top seatbelt loading tests. Matched-pair LS-DYNA simulations were conducted with HBM Connect® 50M and the ATD models recording peak chest deflections for developing the mapping function. In the HBM Connect
Velmurugan, GopinathKumar, DevendraR, Udhaya KumarKulavi, PradeepSoni, AnuragTejero de la Piedra, RicardoFu, StephenLong, TengArora, TusharJagadish, RenukaShah, Chirag
This study focuses on improving the durability of steel wheel rims subjected to Multiple Pothole which is commonly found in Indian village roads — a critical scenario affecting vehicle safety and wheel lifespan. Initial steel wheel designs often face significant deformation or failure under repeated strikes and resulting in tyre air loss due to wheel bend, prompting the need for enhanced performance standards. In this research, a combination of finite element modelling, experimental impact testing, and material optimization strategies were employed to assess and improve the structural integrity of steel rims. Key parameters such as rim profile geometry & material composition were systematically varied to evaluate their influence on impact resistance. Results demonstrate that strategic design modifications and material enhancements can significantly increase the rim's ability to absorb energy and resist bending without substantial weight penalties. The findings offer practical
DEsigan, LakshmipathyP, PraveenK, ChandramohanC, Santhosh
Automotive OEMs can derive significant cost savings by reducing the quantity of physical crash tests and thereby accelerate product development, when they follow the Euro NCAP Virtual Testing procedure. It helps in optimizing the overall vehicle development process via more efficient simulations, as well as facilitates in early adoption of new safety regulations. In this pursuit, companies must comply with strict Euro NCAP requirements, which includes transparency and traceability of virtual tests. A major challenge therein is model validation – which requires highly precise detailing and extensive use of data for accurately replicating real physics of the problem. Deploying these workflows into an existing simulation process can be a complicated and time-consuming task, particularly when integrating various simulation and testing methods. A powerful simulation process and data management system (SPDM) can thereby assist companies to automate their entire simulation process, ensures
Thiele, MarkoSharma, Harsh
This study is conducted to analyse the significance of the Bharat NCAP crash test protocol in real road crashes in India. Accident data from on-the-spot investigation (Road Accident Sampling System India) and Government of India’s, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways official road accident statistics 2023 is used together to understand the real road accidents in India. The current Bharat NCAP crash test protocol is compared against the real road accidents and the frequency of the same in discussed in this paper. A seven-step calculation method is developed to analyse real accidents together with existing crash tests by using similar crash characteristics like impact area, overlap and direction of force. This method makes the real accident comparable with the corresponding crash test by calculating the impact energy during the collision between the real accident and a collision under crash test conditions. Relevant parameters in real accidents that significantly influence the test
Moennich, JoergLich, ThomasKumaresh, Girikumar
In the current automotive design and development of the Electrical Distribution System (EDS), at an earlier stage, before the physical prototyping is largely absent. Traditional methods for verification and validation of EDS are performed with HIL, SIL, MIL, prototype testing or physical vehicle trials reveal design errors at later stages in the development cycle, which may lead to redesign, prolonged timelines and increased failure rates at vehicle integration. Hence, there is a critical need for an early-stage simulation methodology that ensures robustness and reliability of E/E architecture with first-time-right readiness at the design stage itself. In this paper, a digital EDS architecture simulation introduces a mode-based structural behavioural approach where specific vehicle functions, failure conditions and malfunction scenarios are set up in a simulation environment with their corresponding electrical circuits for simulation. A function-specific truth table-based analysis
Jaisankar, GokulnathWarke, UmakantChakra, PipunBorole, Akash
The growing environmental, economic, and social challenges have spurred a demand for cleaner mobility solutions. In response to the transformative changes in the automotive sector, manufacturers must prioritize digital validation of products, manufacturing processes, and tools prior to mass production. This ensures efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. By utilizing 3D modelling of factory layouts, factory planners can digitally validate production line changes, substantially reducing costs when introducing new products. One key innovation involves creating 3D models using point cloud data from factory scans. Traditional factory scanning processes face limitations like blind spots and periodic scanning intervals. This research proposes using drones equipped with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology for 3D scanning, enabling real-time mapping, autonomous operation, and efficient data collection. Drones can navigate complex areas, access small spaces, and optimize
Narad, Akshay MarutiC H, AjheyasimhaVijayasekaran, VinothkumarFasge, Abhishek
With rapid advancements in Autonomous Driving (AD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), numerous sensors are integrated in vehicles to achieve higher and reliable level of autonomy. Due to the growing number of sensors and its fusion creates complex architecture which causes challenges in calibration, cost, and system reliability. Considering the need for further ADAS advancements and addressing the challenges, this paper evaluates a novel solution called One Radar - a single radar system with a wide field of view enabled by advanced antenna design. Placing the single radar at the rear of the vehicle eliminates the need for corner radars and ultrasonic sensors used for parking assistance. With rigorous real-world testing in different urban and low-speed scenarios, the single radar solution showed comparable accuracy in object detection with warning and parking assistance to the conventional combination of corner radars and ultrasonic sensors. The simple single sensor-based
Anandan, RamSharma, Akash
Ambient light reflecting off internal components of the car, specifically the Head-Up Display (HUD), creates unwanted reflections on the Windshield. These reflections can obscure the driver's field of view, potentially compromising safety and reducing visual comfort. The extent of this obscuration is influenced by geometrical factors such as the angle of the HUD and the curvature of the Windshield, which need to be analyzed and managed. The primary motivation is to improve driver safety and visual comfort. This is driven by the need to address the negative impact of ambient light reflecting off Head-Up Displays (HUDs), which can impair visibility through the Windshield. There is a need for tools and methods to address this issue proactively during the vehicle design phase. This study employs a tool-based modeling method to trace the pathways of ambient light from its source, reflecting off the HUD, and onto the Windshield using a dimensional modeling tool. It focuses on: Geometrical
Muchchandi, VinodAkula, Satya JayanthMahindrakar, PramodG S, Sharath
This paper investigates the current state of road safety for female occupants in India, with a particular focus on road accident statistics and the gaps in safety regulations. According to the Road Accident in India 2022 report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), female occupants constitute 16% of passenger car fatalities. Using a extensive dataset of 596 passenger car accidents involving at least one female occupant from the Road Accident Sampling System – India (RASSI), this study evalu the severity and patterns of injuries sustained by female drivers and passengers. The analysis identifies critical shortcomings in existing safety measures, particularly in addressing anatomical differences and male-centric safety designs. Gender-sorted injury trends reveal heightened vulnerabilities for women in crash scenarios. Current regulatory frameworks bank on crash test dummies developed on average male anthropometry, neglecting female-specific biomechanical needs in
Ayyagari, ChandrashekharG, Santhosh KumarRao, Guruprakash
A passenger vehicle's front-end structure's structural integrity and crashworthiness are crucial to ensure compliance with various frontal impact safety standards (such as those set by Euro NCAP & IIHS). For a new front-end architecture, design targets must be defined at a component level for crush cans, longitudinal, bumper beam, subframe, suspension tower and backup structure. The traditional process of defining these targets involves multiple sensitivity studies in CAE. This paper explores the implementation of Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) in component-level target setting. PINNs integrate the governing equations into neural network training, enabling data-driven models to adhere to fundamental mechanical principles. The underlying physics in our model is based upon a force scheme of a full-frontal impact. A force scheme is a one-dimensional representation of the front-end structure components that simplifies a crash event's complex physics. It uses the dimensional and
Gupta, IshanBhatnagar, AbhinavKumar, Ayush
Traditionally, occupant safety research has centered on passive safety systems such as seatbelts, airbags, and energy-absorbing vehicle structures, all designed under the assumption of a nominal occupant posture at the moment of impact. However, with increasing deployment of active safety technologies such as Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), vehicle occupants are exposed to pre-crash decelerations that alter their seated position before the crash. Although AEB mitigates the crash severity, the induced occupant movement leads to out-of-position behavior (OOP), compromising the available survival space phase and effectiveness of passive restraint systems during the crash. Despite these evolving real-world conditions, global regulatory bodies and NCAP programs continue to evaluate pre-crash and crash phases independently, with limited integration. Moreover, traditional Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) such as Hybrid III dummies, although highly
Pendurthi, Chaitanya SagarTHANIGAIVEL RAJA, TKondala, HareeshSudarshan, B.SudarshanNehe, VaibhavRao, Guruprakash
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) of automotive LED headlamps on driver’s visibility and comfort during night driving. The experiment was conducted on different headlamps having different correlated colour temperatures ranging from 5000K to 6500K in laboratory. Further study was conducted involving participants of different age group and genders for understanding their perception to identify objects when observed in light of different LED headlamps with different CCTs. Studies have shown that both Correlated Colour Temperature and illumination level affect driver’s alertness and performance. Further study required on headlamps with automatically varying CCT to get better solution on driver’s visibility and safety.
Patil, Mahendra G.Kirve, JyotiParlikar, Padmakumar
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