Improvement of bumper structure for pedestrian lower leg protection based on Euro-NCAP

Pedestrian protective performance is an indivisible part of Euro NCAP assessment protocol, and which requirements are increasing continuously. To meet the stricter requirements, the pace of development in pedestrian countermeasures is increasing rapidly. In the study, the tibia acceleration and knee bending angle failed to satisfy the performance rating aimed at Euro NCAP five stars after the lower legform impact test. Using Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) modeling, the performance of the energy absorber and lower stiffener was analyzed for knee bending angle, tibia acceleration, and knee shear displacement, and then the improvement of bumper structure for lower leg protection is given through a combination of material properties and design within current styling and packaging space. The legform impact test results demonstrated that the new bumper structure can get the higher score rating for pedestrian lower leg.