Temperature-adaptive design: application and optimization of CFRP in automobile B-Pillar structure

Abstract To enhance automobile safety and strengthen the B-pillar, one of the methods is to use CFRP material as a reinforcement plate to form a mixed material B-pillar. When the ambient temperature changes, stress is generated between them due to different coefficients of thermal expansion of each material, which weakens the support of the reinforcement plate to the outer panel and reduces the overall strength of the B-pillar. To address this issue, this paper proposes an innovative solution: for the first time, a partition is introduced to create a sealed cavity and the higher thermal expansion coefficient of air within the enclosed space is utilized to compensate for the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the CFRP and the steel outer panel. This ensures synchronous deformation of the reinforcement plate and the outer plate during temperature changes, providing effective support to the outer panel.