Steel and hybrid bus safety frame: the analysis of deformation

Abstract

Buses are one of the most popular types of vehicles that allow people to travel. Innovative materials (such as glass or carbon fiber) can be used in the construction to reduce the weight of the bus, which is directly related to the running costs, environmental protection and safety. Carbon or fiberglass composites have long been used in the passenger vehicle manufacturing industry to reduce vehicle weight. However, the safety construction of the bus is still made of steel. The traditional steel construction of the bus safety frame could be replaced by a hybrid construction. A hybrid construction is a construction that is composed of at least two completely different materials. The use of these innovative materials also faces problem - structural strength. Attention must be paid to the strength of the structure, as the replacement of steel by glass fiber can lead to certain unacceptable deformations of the bus safety frame, which may not ensure the safety of the driver or passengers in the event of an accident. In this work, computer modeling of bus frames is performed. In the construction of the bus safety frame, the steel is replaced by fiberglass. The obtained results are analyzed. The effect of the use of fiberglass in the structure on mass reducing, deformation and stresses when modeling lateral impact is assessed.