  Thin-walled straight circular tubes (SCT) are frequently used as energy
absorbing devices in the crashworthy applications. This paper introduces a
various tubal configuration, namely aluminium foam filled corrugation tube and
tapered tube with graded thickness, to control the collapse mode, and minimize
the peak crushing force and fluctuations in force-displacement curves. Dynamic
crushing simulations were carried out using commercially available finite
element package ABAQUS explicit 6.13 at impact velocity of 60 km/h
(corresponding to 16.7 m/s). A comparative study on the dynamic crushing
behaviour of aluminum foam-filled tapered with graded thickness and corrugated
tubes were performed. The results showed that deformation mode of corrugated
tube is more controllable and predictable in the case of empty tubes. In foam
filled tubes the mode of deformation changing from diamond or mixed mode to
concertina mode which is useful for crashworthy applications. The crushing
force efficiency of foam filled tubes increases when compared with the empty
tubes because of a higher mean force which can be achieved by less fluctuations
in force-displacement curves. The effects of corrugation wavelength and
amplitude of corrugation tubes on the collapse mode, peak crushing force and
energy absorption were studied. Compared to the conventional straight circular
tube, initial peak force and fluctuation in the force-displacement curves of
corrugated tube is considerably less. Desired crashworthy characteristics can
be obtained by changing corrugation wavelength and amplitude of corrugated
tubes.
