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Comprehensive evaluation of and advancements in automotive side impact occupant protection with dummy and human body models
Koppisetty, Durga Venkata Suresh
Koppisetty, Durga Venkata Suresh
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d25022_Koppisetty.pdf
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2025-07
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Dissertation
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Electronic dissertation
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Side impact collisions accounted for 22% of total vehicle occupant fatalities in the United States in 2022. Side-impact collisions present a distinct challenge due to the limited crumple zone to absorb impact loads, resulting in a higher risk of injuries to the occupants. To mitigate these risks, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established the regulatory standard FMVSS-214 for side-impact protection, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has developed the IIHS Side Impact Test 2.0 protocol. These physical crash tests are extremely costly, particularly due to the high expense of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), instrumentation, and specialized facilities. As a result, virtual crash testing through simulation has become a more efficient and cost-effective alternative for evaluating occupant injuries and assessing vehicle structural strength and integrity during crash events.
This research aims to investigate vehicle structure, occupant response and associated injury potential in side-impact tests using various dummy and human body models. To achieve this goal, FMVSS 214 and IIHS side-impact regulations are modeled using FE software LS-DYNA and occupant safety are modeled and simulated using MADYMO software. A 50th percentile ES-2re, the new WorldSID-50M, a 5th percentile SID-IIs, and a 50th percentile active Human Body Models are all used for occupant injury evaluation. Results show that the currently used ES-2re and the proposed WorldSID dummies exhibit strong agreement in predicting injury trends. The ES-2re predicts higher rib deflection injuries, while the WorldSID predicted lower spine injuries. Kinematic responses of the Human Body Model are generally consistent with those of the dummies, and the combined use of thorax airbags and seatbelt systems reduces the injury risk. The results from this study are demonstrated to contribute to the advancements of passenger vehicle occupants in side impact accidents.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)-- Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
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Wichita State University
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© Copyright 2025 by Durga Venkata Suresh Koppisetty
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