Energy absorption characteristics and parameter optimization of foam sandwich plate for high-speed maglev train under impact load

A finite element model was proposed to simulate the impact of foam sandwich skirt plate of high-speed maglev train. Based on the steel ball impact test device, the effectiveness of the model was verified. The effects of impact velocity, front and rear metal panel thickness and support spacing on the energy absorption and impact load of foam sandwich plate were studied. The response surface method was used to establish the surrogate model of internal energy and initial peak load of the foam sandwich plate, and the optimization model of impact velocity, front and rear panel thickness and support spacing was established based on genetic algorithm. The results show that under the low speed(8 m/s) impact, the foam sandwich board has a better energy absorption efficiency, which can reach more than 90%, and the energy absorption efficiency decreases significantly with the increase of impact speed. The increase in impact spacing not only prolongs the impact time, but also significantly reduces the peak impact force, which can be reduced by 13.59%. Aiming at the design of the foam sandwich plate of high-speed maglev train, the energy absorption effect can be effectively improved by adjusting the thickness of the front and rear metal panels. The maximum relative error between the predicted value of internal energy and peak force are 4.14% and 0.96%, respectively. The accuracy of energy absorption characteristics prediction of foam sandwich plate of high-speed maglev train is satisfied. © 2024 Central South University of Technology. All rights reserved.