Attempts to improve energy absorption characteristics of circular metal tubes subjected to axial loading

In this paper, experimental investigation of two new structural design solutions with the aim of improving crashworthiness characteristics of cylindrical metal tubes is performed. In the first design method, a rigid steel ring is press-fitted on top of circular aluminum tubes. When this arrangement of dissipating energy is subjected to axial compression, the rigid ring is driven into the cylindrical tube and expands its top area; then, plastic folds start shaping along the rest of the tube length as the compression of the structure continues. In the second design method, wide grooves are cut from the outer surface of steel thick-walled circular tubes. In fact, this method converts thick-walled tubes into several thin-walled tubes of shorter length, being assembled together coaxially. When this energy absorbing device is subjected to axial compression, plastic deformation occurs within the space of each wide groove, and thick portions control and stabilize collapsing of the whole structure. In the present study, several specimens of each developed design methods with various geometric parameters are prepared and compressed quasi-statistically. Also, some ordinary tubes of the same size of these specimens are compressed axially to investigate efficiency of the presented structural solutions in energy absorption applications. Experimental results show the significant efficiency of the presented design methods in improving crashworthiness characteristics and collapse modes of circular tubes under axial loading.