Development of energy absorption parts with FRP tubes

Tapered composite tubes have high energy absorption performance under the axial compressive load. We have tried to formulate the total energy absorbed by each fracture to control the energy absorption capabilities. In this paper, the changes in energy absorption and crush mechanism using internal and external mandrels were investigated based on the formulation. Specific energy absorptions of the tubes using mandrels were higher than that of tubes compressed with flat plates because many of the fractures depended on energy absorption generate by the use of mandrels. For example, the glass cloth/epoxy tube using an external mandrel displayed specific energy absorption of 116 kJ/kg, which was the highest value recorded for any glass reinforced plastics.