Development of a 2015 Mid-Size Sedan Vehicle Model

A detailed finite element model of a 2015 mid-size sedan vehicle was developed using a reverse engineering process. The model consists of about 1000 parts and 2.25 million elements representing geometry, connections, and material characteristics of relevant structural and interior components. This paper describes the level of detail of the simulation model, the validation process, and how it performs in various impact configurations when compared to full-scale crash test data. Members of the Center for Collision Safety and Analysis (CCSA) at George Mason University, formerly known as the National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC), have been developing a fleet of finite element vehicle models over the last 20 years. The updated mid-size sedan presented in this paper is the latest model with a high level of detail using state-of-the-art modeling techniques. A thorough validation process, using test results from frontal, side, and roof crush impact configurations, ensures a high level of correlation for a variety of load cases. Special focus has been placed on occupant compartment intrusion and vehicle pulse evaluation for frontal impact scenarios. Realistic wheel kinematics in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) small overlap load case was achieved through adequate failure modeling. An objective correlation analysis tool was used to evaluate how well simulation results match respective test results. The model is currently being used for several research studies, including the development of structural countermeasures to significantly reduce occupant compartment intrusion for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) left and right frontal oblique offset configurations.