Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Bent Tubular Elements Filled with Porous Material

Energy-absorbing materials are widely used in electric vehicles as well as in the protection of power plants. The paper presents a numerical and experimental analysis of thin-walled tubular elements. The profile was subjected to a three-point static bending test. Two models of hollow (aluminum) and solid (aluminum + aluminum foam) were tested. On the basis of the test the energy absorbed by the profiles and the gain from filling with porous material was determined. The obtained force-displacement curves were compared with numerical data and the crushing efficiency indicators were compared in tabular form.