ABSTRACT
We can classify vehicle crashworthiness analysis into two categories: vehicle structural analysis, and occupant injury analysis. The structural analysis studies how the vehicle structure absorbs the energy of the crash to bring the vehicle from motion to rest. The result of the structural analysis is an acceleration history of the occupant compartment. Contrariwise occupant injury analysis quantifies how the occupant interacts with the restraint system when exposed to specified acceleration history. Then the acceleration history (the crash pulse) connects the structural analysis to the occupant injury analysis.
