Abstract
Keywords: Vehicle frame, numerical models, finite element method, multibody method, numerical solution, plastic hinge characterization.
The paper presents computational methods applied to the study of an off road vehicle frame. The structure is firstly analyzed using finite element method. Internal energy consumed by the plastic hinges is determined and then the reaction torque and joint stiffness are computed. A multibody model is also developed and analyzed. The equation of motion and solving method are detailed and then applied for the structure model. Joint - plastic hinges data are exchanged between the numerical models and the results are compared. Optimization procedures can be defined for structural crashworthiness improvement.