Experimental studies on the axial crash behavior of aluminum foam-filled hat sections

Drop hammer tests were carried out to study the axial crash behavior of aluminum foam-filled hat sections. First, the axial crash tests of the empty hat sections, aluminum foam and the aluminum foam-filled hat sections were carried out; then, based upon the test results, the axial crash behavior of the aluminum foam-filled hat sections were analyzed. It was found that aluminum foam filling can increase the energy absorption capacities of the hat sections. Compared with the non-filled structures, aluminum foam-filled structures were much more stable and needed less mass to absorb the specified energy. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2006, 42(4) (in Chinese)