Numerical Eigenfrequency and Weight Optimization of a Novel Hybrid Cross Car Beam 2006-01-1483

In the cockpit area of passenger cars the design space is very limited. The Thermal Structure Module^®(TSM^®) [5] saves design space through the integration concept. The paper starts with a short introduction of the Thermal Structure Module^®. An overview about function and design of a hybrid cross car beam that is part of a TSM^® (Fig.1) will be given. Afterwards the mechanical requirements on a hybrid cross car beam will be summarized. To avoid expensive tests the mechanical requirements are verified by the use of Finite-Element-Analysis. The validation and correlation of the FE-models are the foundation for reliable results and the correlation results will be described. On the basis of reliable FE-models different design variants can be evaluated. The main objective of the Finite-Element-Analysis is a hybrid cross car beam with achieved mechanical requirements and minimum weight. Both aspects are considered by numerical optimization. By the use of different examples it will be demonstrated that the numerical optimization usefully supports the concept and design phase. The optimization tools are used to identify load paths and give new hints for design solutions. The results of the optimization are transformed in a manufacturable design and this design is again verified by means of the described FEA-tools.