Design of energy-absorbing bionic workstation table for trains and research on occupant collision injury

Secondary impact is a significant contributor to occupant injuries in train crashes. To mitigate collision injuries, a workbench with energy-absorbing properties was developed, drawing inspiration from leaf-vein and honeycomb structures. A local collision model of a dummy compartment was established to evaluate the impact of different sandwich thicknesses on occupant injuries. By optimizing the wall thickness of the energy-absorbing sandwich, the optimal gradient parameters were determined. The assessment of occupant collision injury from the workstation table with a graded wall thickness sandwich was conducted using the LSTC Hybrid III 50th seating dummy. The results demonstrate that the workstation table influences the occupant's movement posture during a collision, preventing head impact with the tabletop. Apart from slightly elevated leg injuries in the dummy, which remained within permissible values, the head, neck, and chest injuries were reduced by 98.45%, 48.17%, and 81.18%, respectively.