Numerical Study on Aluminium 5056 Alloy Hexagonal Honeycomb Cells As a Possible Material for Energy Absorption During Vehicle Crash

The impact energy has to be adequately absorbed to safeguard individuals and vehicles from unintended damage. Hence, the inclusion of appropriate energy-absorbing structures is highly recommended during the design phase. The energy absorption capability of an aluminium 5056 (Al 5056) alloy honeycomb core, subjected to a vehicle impact, is investigated in this study. The impact effectiveness is investigated using ANSYS LS-DYNA finite element analysis. To explore the behaviour of a honeycomb core, it was first constructed, modelled, and crashed. The effect of different cell parameters on energy absorption is then studied by crashing the honeycombs with varying cell parameters. The energy absorption is estimated using the single honeycomb cell model, which is in accordance with the numerical calculations for different cell parameters of both single honeycomb cell and whole honeycomb core. Parametric studies are carried out for varied cell sizes, cell heights, cell thicknesses, impact velocity, and core material density to explore distinct cell factors that influence energy absorption capability. Among the numerous cell parameters evaluated, the cell wall thickness and core material density impact specific energy absorption. A single honeycomb cell and a honeycomb core were modelled using the optimum cell configurations and later subjected to a crash test. According to the study, the aluminium 5056 alloy honeycomb cell and honeycomb core are capable of absorbing 96.31% and 98.23% of impact energy, respectively.