Modelling and analysis of automotive A-pillar reinforcement using CFRP for high crashworthiness of passenger car

In this work, an A-pillar component of an automotive car was studied for the safety of passengers and to avoid more damage to the vehicle. For this, a comprehensive model of an A-pillar with the reinforcement of carbon fiber was developed and analyzed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in ANSYS Workbench. Initially, the investigation was carried out on three materials such as structural steel without any reinforcement, epoxy glass fiber reinforcement, and carbon fiber reinforcement. Further, the 3-point bending test was performed without any orientation angle by using structural steel and carbon fiber material. Simulation tests were performed on a carbon fiber material with the orientation angles 00-00-00, 00-300-600, 300-600-900, and 900-00-900 producing the reaction forces 16.046 KN, 16.988 KN, 16.945 KN, and 16.046 KN respectively. For validation, the experiments were conducted on carbon fiber components with a ply orientation angle of 00-300-600, and the maximum reaction force generated 16.990 KN, which shows that this value is very close to the analytical analysis. Therefore, it is revealed that the strength and performance of the A-pillar component were enhanced with the use of carbon fiber as a reinforcement material compared with the structural steel.