Crash Testing Lab

1. Crash Testing Lab LHS Engineering

2. BACKGROUND • It is not unusual to know somebody that has been involved in an auto accident. Accidents are all too common on today’s crowded highways and roads. Fortunately, today’s cars and trucks are safer than ever due to engineering and safety testing. Safety is an issue that cannot be ignored by the modern auto manufacturer. In this activity, you will learn more about auto safety, as well as design, building and testing of your own prototype vehicle.

3. Each individual will turn in a technical packet with the following: • 1. Complete the vocabulary. Please type definitions and include in your technical packet. .Individual. Label as “Crash testing vocabulary”. • 2. Draw several rough sketches and designs for your egg crash vehicle. Make sure they are developmental drawings. Review the constraints andlayout a full size prototype (practice piece), cut it out and fold it up. Does it work and meet specs? Individual. Turn in the prototype. Do not lose or trash it. • 3. If you working as a team, meet together and choose the best design from your group members or design a new vehicle. Team. • 4. Complete construction of vehicle following instructions and constraints/materials. Individual or team. • 5. Complete testing, data collection and analysis.Individual or team. • 6. Evaluation and grading. Turn in analysis report with pictures. Individual or team.

4. VOCABULARY • The student is responsible for knowing the following vocabulary. Type definitions and place in your technical packet. • Occupant • Impact • Crumple zone • Prototype • Accelerometer • Load sensor • Motion sensor • Deflection • NHTSA • Kinetic energy • High speed camera • Airbag • Force limiters • Star rating system

5. CONSTRUCTION OBJECTIVE • The objective of this activity is to build a model vehicle that will protect its occupants as much as possible during several crash scenarios. We will be using raw eggs for the occupants suggesting how fragile the human body is in a collision • Each student or team of students will build the vehicle using the teacher supplied materials. The body of the vehicle must be designed as a developmental model. Safety features will then be added by the designers. Some suggested safety features might include a restraint system, bumpers, padded interior, airbags, crumple zones and whatever else you think might help during collisions. • Teacher should have old models for examples

6. SAFETY FEATURESCHART • Complete this chart on paper, from your research, readings and lecture. List at least 8 features. (optional: make a spreadsheet) • Feature Real Purpose Egg car simulation • seat belt occupant restraint rubber band • 1.air bag restrain occupant bubble layer • 2. • 3. • 4. • 5.

7. CONSTRAINTS • Each crash test vehicle must comply with the following limitations: • Solid vehicles must be built from a developmental drawing. Use supplied tag board for body. • Car must be similar to an actual vehicle. No cylinders, cubes or pyramids, etc. • Vehicle must be enclosed with sides, roof, bottom, front and rear. • Vehicle length max length is 11 inches. Min length is 8 inches. • Max width is 4 inches, min is 3 inches. • No braking devices to slow speed, nothing can rub or slow wheels, wheels must spin freely. • Car must have a front windshield opening of 1” by 2” minimum. Driver must be able to “see” through front windshield. • Occupants must be able to be removed from vehicle within 10 seconds of rollover test. • All cars must have four wheels. The wheels and axles will be supplied. • Vehicles cannot be filled with hot glue or any other adhesives. Only enough adhesives can be used to hold pieces together. Excessive amounts will lead to disqualification. • Eggs must be sealed in plastic bags. Car cannot be altered in any way to slow it down. Wheels and axles must be parallel to each other. Wheels must turn freely. Wheels must be behind front and rear of car by ¼ of an inch. Car cannot hit the side wall on descent.

8. TESTING • Since we never know what kind of impact an automobile will encounter, it is important that the vehicle protects its occupants under a variety of circumstances. In order to simulate a variety of real collision scenarios, we will be testing our vehicles a total of _____ different ways. Each vehicle will be subject to the following impact tests: • Mild to Severe frontal impact. • Mild to Severe rear impact. • Severe side impact with pully/weight system. • Roll over test. • Offset frontal impact. (optional if time permits) • Car repairs can be made to restore the car to its original condition after each series of tests. No additions/changes can be made after testing- only repairs.

9. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS • Take pictures of the vehicle at the moment of impact from your tests. Use your cell phone with permission, for pictures. • Take photos of the vehicle after each series of tests. Save these for your report. Hold up a card in background with test type label. • Write a technical report using learned vocabulary, of your assignment and testing. Incorporate saved pics into your report. Start with an introduction to the project, describe how your vehicle was built and then conclude with your results and suggestions for improvement.

11. GRADING RUBRIC (The following rubric is SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!!!) • 1-5 points per egg/per test.(damage rubric used) Egg 1 ___*(option) Egg 2 • Low speed frontal. • Medium speed frontal. • High speed frontal. • Low speed rear. • Medium speed rear. • High speed rear. • Side impact. • Roll over. • TOTAL TEST • ************************************************************************ • Max points for impact testing. /40*(80) • Car w/ specs being met. /50 • Vocab, technical report, safety features chart /50 • +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ • Possible total for project /140*(180)