Validation of a Human Body Model for Frontal Crash and its Use for Chest Injury Prediction

Whole-body kinematics of the finite element human body model THUMS was evaluated by means of sled tests. A model of a crash test dummy (Hybrid-III 50%-ile) was used to validate the test environment by matching the model predictions to the experimentally measured dummy sled test responses. Once the environment was validated, the THUMS model was placed in the sled model and the post mortem human subject (PMHS) sled tests were replicated. Two test configurations were used for the evaluation. One configuration was high impact velocity sled tests with an advanced restraint system. The other configuration was low impact velocity sled tests with a basic restraint system. The test velocities were 48 km/h and 29 km/h respectively. The evaluation was carried out by an objective rating method that compared predictions from the model to results from the mechanical tests. The method assessed the peak level, peak timing and curve shapes of the predictions relative to the test results. The mathematical crash dummy model predictions matched the mechanical counterpart responses well, confirming that the test environment was replicated. The match between the THUMS model predictions and PMHS responses was not as good. Generally the chest deflection predicted by THUMS was greater than the chest deflection predicted by the PMHS. There was also a discrepancy between model prediction of chest injury and PMHS injury.Cross Reference: