DESIGN AND NUMERICAL MODELS OF A STRUCTURAL COMPONENT IN COMPOSITE MATERIAL

Object of the European project Litebus is the study, design and test of the cabin of a coach in composite materials: the cabin frame is made of composite pillars. The paper presents a study on this component, in terms of stiffness that can be offered to the global structure of the coach for the roll-over test and bus homologation according to the standards. Different pillars are taken into consideration, made of glass and carbon fibers, and with different sections. Static experimental tests are performed on these pillars, clamping at one edge and using them as cantilever beams, measuring the displacement as a function of the applied load. An analysis of the different failure modes of the pillars is also proposed. In parallel, numerical simulations are run and validated on the basis of the experimental tests. The aim of these models is to propose an interpretation of the experimental tests and to correctly define the material mechanical properties. In this way, a valid tool for a tailored design of the structure is obtained.