Modelling the side impact of carbon fiber tubes

Metallic tubes have been extensively studied for their crashworthiness as they closely resemble automotive crash rails. Recently, the demand to improve fuel economy and reduce vehicle emissions has led automobile manufacturers to explore the crash properties of light weight materials such as fibre reinforced polymer composites, metallic foams and sandwich structures in order to use them as crash barriers. This paper discusses the response of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) tubes and their failure mechanisms during side impact. The energy absorption of CFRP tubes is compared to similar Aluminium tubes. The response of the CFRP tubes during impact was modelled using Abaqus finite element software with a composite fabric material model. The material inputs were given based on standard tension and compression test results and the in-plane damage was defined based on cyclic shear tests. The failure modes and energy absorption observed during the tests were well represented by the finite element model.

Modelling factors of square tubes in high speed bending situations

Accurate finite element crash simulations of side impact depend upon a thorough understanding of dynamic tube bending. There is a need to understand the dynamic bending mode of square sections (equivalent of automotive structural parts) to obtain a greater confidence in CAE. This work varied strain rate and material definitions, such as Cowper-Symonds vs Zerilli-Armstrong, as well as initial velocity and yield strength. The results show that most of the plastic work is done between strains rates of 30 ¿ 300/s and strains up to 0.3. Peak strain rates were marginally above 1000/s with maximum strain greater than 1. When the strain rate definition and material model were modified, it was shown that a higher yield stress produced a higher reaction force. These results would suggest that the strain rate sensitivity needs to be carefully identified for accurate crash simulations.

Vehicle design for minimum societal harm

A design technique was developed to provide the best protection to all occupants in the real-world crashes that occur on Australian roads. A team of experts from around the world was marshalled to analyse crash data, develop new information on impact injury and a new computer optimising technique for simulation of side impact crashes.

The indentation behaviour of carbon fibre composite tubes-experiments & modelling

Metallic tubes have been extensively studied for their crashworthiness as they closely resemble automotive crash rails. Recently, the demand to produce lighter weight, yet safer vehicles has led to the need to understand the crash behaviour of novel materials, such as fibre reinforced polymer composites, metallic foams and sandwich structures. This paper discusses the static indentation response of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) tubes. The side impact on a CFRP tube involves various failure mechanisms. This paper highlights these mechanisms and compares the energy absorption of CFRP tubes with similar Aluminium tubes. The response of the CFRP tubes during bending was modelled using ABAQUS finite element software with a composite fabric material model. The material inputs were given based on standard tension and compression test results and the in-plane damage was defined based on cyclic shear tests. The failure modes and energy absorption observed during the tests were well represented by the finite element model.

Determination of the embedded lengths of electricity timber poles utilizing flexural wave generated from impacts

Round timbers are extensively used as utility poles in Australia for electricity distribution and communication. Lack of information on their conditions results in great difficulties on asset management for industries. Despite the development of various non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques for evaluating the condition of piles, few NDTs are reported for applications on timber poles. This paper addresses challenges and issues on development of NDTs for condition assessment and embedded length of timber poles. For this paper, it is mainly focusing on determining the embedded length of the pole considering loss of the sufficient embedment length is a main factor compromising capacity and safety of timber poles. Since it is impractical for generating longitudinal waves by impacting from the top of poles, utilizing flexural wave from side impact on poles becomes attractive. However, the flexural wave is known by its highly dispersive nature. In this paper, one dimensional wave theory, guided wave theory and advanced signal processing techniques have been introduced in order to provide a solution for the problem. Two signal processing techniques, namely short kernel method and continuous wavelet transform, have been investigated for processing flexural wave signals to evaluate wave velocity and embedment length of timber poles in service.

The crash behaviour of hot stamped components – the effect of tailoring conditions

It is known that tailoring a hot stamping part, to achieve locally graded properties, can improve the crash behavior. Depending on the role of the structural part (carrying either bending or axial crash load), the best position for the local regions with lower strength and higher ductility can be different. The distribution of these local regions and their mechanical properties affects the crash behavior of the part in each loading case and therefore can be effectively designed to improve the crash performance. To investigate these effects and examine the improvement possibilities, a numerical thermalmechanical-metallurgical model of a hot stamping process and a representative side impact crash model were created and analysed. The hot stamping model was used to predict the consequent phase fractions and mechanical properties of tailored hot stamping parts produced with different tailoring scenarios. In the metallurgical model, a modified phase transformation model based on Scheil’s additive principle was incorporated. The geometry and mesh of the stamped part was exported to a crash numerical model with a 3-point bending configuration. A constitutive model was used to define the plastic behavior of the stamped part corresponding to different hardness values. Various possibilities in locally positioning the high strength or high ductility zones of material were examined. The results show that the positioning of the soft zones has a more significant effect on the crash performance than the variation in their mechanical properties of these soft zones.

Inspection of drop-weight impact damage in woven CFRP laminates fabricated by different processes

The influence of manufacturing process on the drop-weight impact damage in woven carbon/epoxy laminates was inspected by visual observation, dyepenetrant X-ray technique, and optical microscopy observation. The MTM56/ CF0300 woven quasi-isotropic laminates were fabricated by two processes: the autoclave and the Quickstep processes. Quickstep^TM is a novel composite manufacturing process, which was designed for the out-of-autoclave production of high-quality composite parts at lower cost. It utilizes higher heat conduction of fluid other than gas to transfer heat to components, which results in much shorter cure cycles. The laminates cured by this fast heating process showed different impact failure modes from those cured by the conventional autoclave process. The residual indentation in the top side of the Quickstep-cured laminates had a bigger diameter, but a smaller depth at the same impact energy level. Dye-penetrant X-ray revealed more intense and connected impact damage regions in the autoclave-cured laminates. Optical micrography as a supplementary method showed less severe matrix damage in the quickstep-cured laminates indicating a more ductile property of the resin matrix cured at a faster heating rate.

The impact of hypoglycaemia on quality of life and related patient-reported outcomes in Type 2 diabetes : a narrative review

As a common side effect of insulin treatment for diabetes, hypoglycaemia is a constant threat and can have far-reaching and potentially devastating consequences, including immediate physical injury as well as more pervasive cognitive, behavioural and emotional effects. Moreover, as a significant limiting factor in achieving optimal glycaemic control, exposure to hypoglycaemia can influence diabetes self-management.

Although hypoglycaemia is known to occur in Type 2 diabetes, its morbidity and impact on the individual are not well recognized. The aim of the current review is to examine published evidence to achieve a synthesis of the scope and significance of the potential detriment caused by hypoglycaemia to individuals with Type 2 diabetes. The implications of these observations for treatment and research have also been considered.

A narrative review was performed of empirical papers published in English since 1966, reporting the effect of hypoglycaemia on quality of life and related outcomes (including generic and diabetes specificquality of life, emotional well-being and health utilities) in Type 2 diabetes.

Research demonstrates the potential impact of hypoglycaemia on the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes, from an association with depressive symptoms and heightened anxiety, to impairment of the ability to drive, work and function in ways that are important for quality of life. Few studies consider hypoglycaemia as an explanatory variable in combination with quality of life or related primary endpoints. As a consequence, there is a pressing need for high-quality research into the overall impact of hypoglycaemia on the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes.

The impact of hypoglycemia on quality of life in type 2 diabetes : a systematic review.

Hypoglycemia is the commonest and most serious side-effect of insulin treatment for Type 1 diabetes (T1DM). The prevalence of hypoglycemia is lower in insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) than in T1DM but the prevalence increases with duration of insulin therapy and increasingly resembles T1DM. As hypoglycemia has not been widely recognised to affect people with T2DM, its impact on quality of life (QoL) has received little attention.

A systematic literature review was performed to identify empirical papers published in English since 1966 reporting the effect of hypoglycemia on any patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including QoL, in T2DM. Despite our specific interest in QoL, the inclusion criteria were defined broadly to encompass a range of self-assessed psychosocial outcomes, including generic and diabetes-specific QoL, emotional well-being and health utilities. Studies were excluded in which the impact of hypoglycemia was confounded by treatment effects. Our search included: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL. Abstracts were screened independently by two investigators.

Of 2,469 abstracts, Thirty-one met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to data extraction and analysis. These comprised four controlled trials and twenty-seven others (including cross-sectional and health utility studies). The results indicate associations between the experience of hypoglycemia and a range of adverse PROs, including impaired QoL and well-being, higher levels of anxiety, depression and anger and loss of health utility. Fear of hypoglycemia was also associated with compensatory lifestyle limitations and changes.

Publications suggest that QoL and other psychosocial outcomes are impaired by the experience and/or fear of hypoglycemia in T2DM, however, very few studies have directly investigated this phenomenon to date. Interpretation of the evidence is hampered by inconsistent or inadequate definitions and measurement of both hypoglycemia and QoL outcomes, by confounding of the impact of hypoglycemia and by treatment factors. Targeted research using appropriate study design is needed to quantify and qualify the true impact of hypoglycemia on QoL in people with T2DM.

Impact of medical Qigong on quality of life, fatigue, mood and inflammation in cancer patients : a randomized controlled trial

Background: Substantial numbers of cancer patients use complementary medicine therapies, even without a supportive evidence base. This study aimed to evaluate in a randomized controlled trial, the use of Medical Qigong (MQ) compared with usual care to improve the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients. Patients and methods: One hundred and sixty-two patients with a range of cancers were recruited. QOL and fatigue were measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—General and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Fatigue, respectively, and mood status by Profile of Mood State. The inflammatory marker serum C-reactive protein (CRP) was monitored serially. Results: Regression analysis indicated that the MQ group significantly improved overall QOL (t144 = −5.761, P < 0.001), fatigue (t153 = −5.621, P < 0.001), mood disturbance (t122 =2.346, P = 0.021) and inflammation (CRP) (t99 = 2.042, P < 0.044) compared with usual care after controlling for baseline variables. Conclusions: This study indicates that MQ can improve cancer patients’ overall QOL and mood status and reduce specific side-effects of treatment. It may also produce physical benefits in the long term through reduced inflammation.

Impact abrasion resistance quantification of protective motorcycle gloves

The hands are often the first contact point with the road surface in a motorcycle crash. Wearing well designed protective gloves has been proven to significantly reduce the occurrence and severity of injuries to the hand. The European Standard for motorcycle protective gloves requires testing of component materials separately and does not consider the impact of abrasive surfaces on seems. This work aimed to develop a new method of testing of fully constructed gloves as worn by a rider in impact abrasion situations. It used previously published fall mechanics to understand the areas that may undergo impact abrasion. It defines the important zones for abrasion resistance and details ideal impact/measurement geometry for measurement on a Cambridge type abrasion tester. It proposes a method for the impact abrasion resistance of the palm, knuckles, wrist, outer side of the little finger and the tops of fingers. This information may be used for the quantification of fully manufactured gloves for standard certification or use in a rating system.

Motorcycle clothing fabric burst failure during high speed impact with an abrasive surface

High energy is involved when a rider impacts a road surface in a crash. Rider speed, height of fall and road surface morphology all contribute to the level of initial impact energy. Impact can cause fabrics and seams of protective garments to burst rendering their protective value void. The Cambridge abrasion tester tests protective clothing with a fall height of 50mm and abrasive belt speed of 28km/hr, far below what can happen in a “high side” motorcycle crash at 100km/hr. This work addresses the mechanics of what occurs in the first few microseconds of an impact and provides insight into the effect that speed has on fabric burst. This work used a Cambridge impact abrasion test to evaluate two different protective motorcycle clothing fabrics (a denim and brushed fleecy fabric over a p-aramid protective liner). It measured their abrasion resistance at an abrasion speed of 28km/hr and standard impact height. It used a high speed camera to measure the impact displacement of the test head. Fabrics with high stretch were more prone to burst failure on initial impact. Fabric burst is caused by a high speed tensile stress between the fabric coupled with the abrasion surface and the inertia of the body dragging against it. Stretch fabrics are pushed into the abrasion surface for a longer period by the body before the tensile stress occurs so the coupling force is higher. If the transition to abrasion occurs early in the impact then a fabric is less likely to burst.

Is the grass greener on the other side? a review of the Asia-Pacific sport industry’s environmental sustainability practices

In recent years, sport entities have begun to prioritise environmental sustainability (ES) initiatives in their business strategies with the aim of minimising their environmental impact and engaging stakeholders within the ES movement. There has been minimal academic consideration of the ES movement in professional sport, particularly outside of North America and Europe. The aim of the present study is to provide an overview of the type and profile of ES initiatives being undertaken and communicated to stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region by the industry bodies. Further, the study offers a conceptual model of the global-, country-, industry- and organisational-level forces impacting these sporting organisations’ ES practices. Various communication mediums of 114 professional sport teams from seven countries—Australia, India, New Zealand, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea—were evaluated using content analysis. The results reveal low communication of ES practices by professional sport teams in the Asia-Pacific region compared to North America. Extended findings on the existing global profile of ES engagement provide a descriptive understanding of the ES movement in the Asia-Pacific region, and contribute to the identification of possible antecedents and correlatives to be evaluated in future research.