The Use of Computers on Car Crash-Analysis Programs :: Technology Computers Essays

The Use of Computers on Car Crash-Analysis Programs In the world today, computers are used in every field. Be it a major space exploration or a small chore like cleaning our room. The use of computers has made our lives easier but at the same time a computer failure can make our lives miserable too. We trust computers more than we trust anything else these days. We use computers to communicate, share personal information, buy goods online, etc. We also trust computers with our safety. Starting from house alarm systems and other safety devices we have now moved on to using computers to Test Car Crashes. Car crash analysis programs gained wide usage by the late 1980s but ARA (Applied Research Associates) Personnel in the Silicon Valley Office have been engaged in studying the crash response of vehicles, occupant safety, and right-of-way structures since 1971( ARA Website, 25h May). One of the major programs used for this testing is the DYNA3D which was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (A Gift of Fire, Baase). DYNA3D is a computer simulation program that models the interactions of physical objects on impact such as vehicle impacts involving roadside structures such as signs, supports, guardrails and crash cushions. DYNA3D, suitable for solving problems involving rapid change, has had many applications in safety analysis. Laboratory analysts have used DYNA3D to study crashworthiness in a number of vehicle safety studies, where models of complex vehicles impact roadside safety structures and other vehicles, deforming under the impact. The DYNA3D progra m uses a technique called the finite-element method where a grid is superimposed on the frame of a car dividing the car into a finite number of small pieces or elements. The grid is then entered into the program along with data describing the specifications of the materials making up each element such as density, elasticity, etc. While reading the effect of a head-on collision on the structure of the car, the data can be initialized to represent a crash into a wall at a specified speed. The program in return helps compute the force, acceleration, and displacement at each grid point and the stress and strain within each element. Using graphics programs, the simulation produces a picture of the car at intervals after impact.