Axial compression and energy absorption characteristics of reduction tubes using a die under impact load

Reduction tube using a die is a kind of deformation tubes which are used on railway train as energy absorbers. In this paper, axial compression behavior and energy absorption characteristics of reduction tubes using a die under impact load are investigated. No-linear finite element software LS-DYNA is used to conduct the numerical study. Results for the expansion tube using a die (another kind of deformation tube) and the reduction tube using a die are compared. Assuming two different structures with the same material and sectional area, an analysis shows that the energy absorption of reduction tube is better than the expansion tube. Hence, the reduction tubes using a die are investigated using a series of numerical analysis. The relationship between displacement and load, average load are obtained. The influences of impact mass and impact velocity are discussed.