14Q80068_SOW_8-14.doc

Request for Quotation (RFQ) No. DTRT5714Q80068

Attachment No. 1

STATEMENT OF WORK

Abdominal Impact Testing of the Hybrid III Rail Safety (HIII-RS) Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 Introduction

The HIII-RS ATD is a developmental crash test dummy similar to the standard 50th percentile male ATD, with additional instrumentation to measure compression and rate of compression at multiple bilateral locations in the chest and abdomen. It was developed by the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) and the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in the United Kingdom to evaluate abdominal injuries that occur when passengers impact workstation tables during train accidents. The developmental ATD has been used in dynamic sled testing with workstation tables to evaluate the collision behavior of the tables, to assess the severity of abdominal injuries imparted as a result of table impacts, and to gather more information about the performance of the ATD design.

A goal of the testing described in this Statement of Work (SOW) is to identify an abdominal design that consistently produces biofidelic results under a range of impact conditions. If these tests are successful and the ATD abdominal design can be finalized, TRL has plans to develop a validated numerical model of the ATD and to make both the physical ATD and the numerical model commercially available to the international rail community. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) have a vested interested in seeing the HIII-RS design finalized, because use of such an ATD is specified for dynamic testing in APTA PR-CS-S-018-13 – Fixed Workstation Tables in Passenger Rail Cars, which can be found at http://www.apta.com/resources/standards/Documents/APTA%20PR-CS-S-018-13.pdf , this is the safety standard for crashworthy tables in U.S. rail industry.

The objectives of the work proposed in this SOW are to assess the performance of the abdominal displacement transducers under a range of impact conditions, to evaluate the biofidelity and repeatability of the current abdominal design and two new designs with modified foam and bags that house the foam.

If the tests in the purchase order result in the identification of a biofidelic abdomen over a range of impact conditions, and if crashworthy workstation tables can be acquired by the Volpe Center, then a purchase order option may be exercised. Option A specifies sled testing in accordance with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Standard for Fixed Workstation Tables in Passenger Rail Cars, APTA-PR-C&S-S-018-013, using the HIII-RS ATD, a standard 50th percentile male ATD, and a workstation table.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 Background The Volpe Center has been supporting the FRA in conducting rail equipment crashworthiness research. The research approach has been to investigate train accidents to identify causal mechanisms of injury and fatality, to propose strategies for improved crashworthiness, and to apply analytic tools and testing techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of those strategies. This research functions as the technical basis for proposed federal rail regulations and industry safety standards.

Accident investigations in the US and Europe have identified thin, rigid workstation tables as a causal mechanism of injuries and fatalities in train accidents [Placentia, Chatsworth, Amsterdam]. To address this safety issue, the US and the UK each have rail safety standards that govern the performance of workstation tables in trains. Each standard specifies that ATDs with abdominal instrumentation may be used to demonstrate table compliance. Currently, advanced ATDs are not readily available in the United States, making it a challenge for table manufacturers to comply with the testing requirements in the standard.

Two different ATDs with abdominal transducers are known to exist. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has developed an advanced ATD called THOR (Test device for Human Occupant Restraints), which is used to evaluate occupant response in automobile accidents [1]. A THOR ATD has also been used to evaluate workstation tables in trains [2]. THOR ATDs are not readily available for use in the rail industry because they are heavily used for ongoing research by NHTSA. Also, they were designed to evaluate somewhat different collision conditions, i.e., the effects of automobile restraints and impacts with a steering column, versus a workstation table. For these reasons, RSSB and TRL collaborated to develop a modified version of the standard HIII ATD, specifically to evaluate occupant response due to impacts with workstation tables in passenger trains. This ATD is available for sled testing in the UK.

Table safety standards in the US and the UK both rely on advanced ATDs to assess abdominal injury. There is interest and value in working together to assess the performance of the HIII-RS ATD under a range of loading conditions and potentially recommend modifications, with a goal of eventually developing a standard ATD for rail safety applications worldwide. The work in this purchase order is intended to identify an abdominal design with biofidelic behavior over a range of impact conditions.

Transport Research Laboratory will provide the HIII-RS ATD for use in this test effort at its test facility in Crowthorne, UK.

Depending on the success of the abdominal impact tests in identifying a suitably biofidelic abdomen, and the availability of energy-absorbing workstation tables, Option A may be exercised to assess abdominal injury caused by impacts with different workstation tables during simulated collision conditions.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 Objectives A series of abdominal impact tests are planned using rigid, linear impactors and an HIII-RS ATD. The tests will evaluate ATD abdominal response under multiple impact conditions. The tests are designed to meet the following objectives:

- To evaluate the accuracy of the current HIII-RS abdominal instrumentation by comparing abdominal deflection time histories using multiple measurement techniques (i.e., string potentiometers and double-gimbaled string potentiometers (DGSPs) existing within the abdomen of the ATD, as well as photometric analysis and of impactor motion and integration of impactor accelerometer data) over a range of impact conditions, varying the velocity, impact height, and impactor geometry.

- To evaluate biofidelity of different abdominal designs by comparing test results to response requirements in the THOR Certification Manual (Attachment No. 3) [3].

- To evaluate test repeatability by conducting multiple tests using the same initial conditions.

- To evaluate sensitivity to variations in impact location, and impactor geometry and velocity.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 Purchase order: HIII-RS Abdominal Impact Tests The scope of the purchase order is to conduct a series of impact tests in accordance with the test requirements (see Appendix A) using an instrumented HIII-RS ATD and fabricated, rigid impactors. Test data will be collected and reported.

The contractor shall perform the following tasks:

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 1 - MANAGEMENT PLAN

The contractor shall develop a management plan that describes the plan to complete the work required in Section 4. This plan shall include a milestone chart describing the schedule for initiating and completing each of the tasks, and the resources required to complete each task. The management plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 2 - DEVELOP TEST IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The contractor shall develop a test implementation plan describing how the tests will be conducted, including a description of the test setup, test fixture, rigid impactor(s), instrumentation, and data acquisition. The test implementation plan shall be reviewed and approved by the COR before the Contractor proceeds to the next task.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 3 - DESIGN AND FABRICATE TEST FIXTURE AND RIGID IMPACTORS If the contractor does not have a test fixture to hold the ATD in position during the dynamic impact tests, or rigid impactors to deliver the dynamic load to the abdomen of the HIII-RS ATD, then they shall be fabricated. Design details are provided in the test requirements in Appendix A.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 4 - CONDUCT BIOFIDELITY IMPACT TESTS The contractor shall conduct the series of biofidelity impact tests in accordance with the test requirements in Appendix A (sections A.3.2.1 and A.3.2.2) and the test implementation plan developed in Task 4.2. The COR shall have the option of attending all tests. The contractor shall work with the COR to determine mutually agreeable test date(s). The testing date(s) shall be determined at least 45 days in advance to provide ample time for the COR to make foreign travel arrangements. The electronic test measurements shall be submitted to the COR within two weeks of test completion.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 5 – ANALYZE BIOFIDELITY TEST DATA Before additional tests are conducted, the test data from the biofidelity tests on the upper and lower abdomen shall be analyzed and compared to the performance requirements in the THOR Certification Manual (Attachment No. 3). The contractor and COR shall review the results and mutually decide which abdominal design best met the performance requirements. The selected design shall be used for the subsequent tests.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 6 – CONDUCT REMAINING TESTS The contractor shall conduct the remaining series of impact tests (sections A.3.2.3 through A.3.2.10) in accordance with the test requirements in Appendix A and the test implementation plan developed in Task 4.2. Ideally the remaining tests will be conducted within one or two days of the biofidelity tests. The COR shall have the option of attending all tests. The contractor shall work with the COR to determine mutually agreeable test date(s). The electronic test measurements shall be submitted to the COR within two weeks of test completion.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 7 - DATA PROCESSING

After each test, the contractor shall process the test data to produce plots and injury criteria as described in the test requirements in Appendix A. When applicable, the contractor shall describe the algorithms used to process the test measurements in the test report. The contractor shall also provide clearly identified XY data used to produce the plots in electronic format. The complete electronic test data, including pre- and post-test photographs and video, shall be submitted to the COR within a month of test completion.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 8 – ANALYSIS OF TEST DATA

The contractor shall analyze the test data and evaluate the following:

· Accuracy of the abdominal transducers, i.e. compare the displacement test data measured from the HIII-RS abdominal transducers to the motion of the impactor via integration of the impactor acceleration and photometric analysis. Once the transducers begin to register deflection, is the deformation of the abdomen consistent with the motion of the impactor?

· Biofidelity of the abdominal design, i.e., compare the test data measured from the HIII-RS to the upper and lower abdominal performance requirements in the THOR Certification Manual. Did the test data consistently meet the biofidelity performance requirements? If not, describe possible causes of poor biofidelity and recommend strategies for improvement.

· Repeatability of the abdominal design, i.e., calculate the mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variability of the peak displacement and force for tests using the same initial conditions. Discuss variation in the magnitude and timing of the peaks. Discuss possible causes of poor repeatability, if applicable, and recommend strategies for improvement.

· Abdominal design, i.e., compare the test data collected from the different abdominal designs. Which design(s) produced the most biofidelic results? Which design(s), if any, met all of the performance requirements in the THOR Certification Manual? Which design(s) produced the most repeatable results? Which design(s), if any, would be recommended for use in a commercially available ATD, and why? Describe potential improvements based on the information learned through the conduct of this testing effort, as well as prior knowledge. Identify any concerns with the robustness of the abdominal design and/or instrumentation.

The results of the evaluation shall be included in the Test Report.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 TASK 9 - PREPARE TEST REPORT

The Contractor shall prepare a report that includes a written description of the test setup, test fixture, rigid impactor(s), data measured, and test results in accordance with the test requirements in Appendix A, including graphs of all the measurements taken, injury criteria, photographs of the test set up, and videos of each test. The report will also include the analysis of test data described in Tasks 5 and 8, in terms of abdominal design, accuracy, biofidelity, repeatability, and sensitivity. The written report shall be formatted according to the MSWord template that is included as Attachment No. 2.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 OPTION A: DYNAMIC SLED TESTS WITH HIII-RS ATD If a suitably biofidelic abdominal design was identified in the purchase order, and if the Government can acquire two energy absorbing tables, and if the contractor can acquire one or two double-passenger rail seats and a standard HIII 50th percentile ATD, then the Government may choose to exercise Option A. The scope of Option A is to conduct two sled tests using the HIII-RS ATD and a standard HIII 50th percentile ATD, to collect head, chest, neck, and femur injury data from both ATDs, and injury data from the upper and lower abdominal transducers and CRUX transducers for the HIII-RS ATD. The results will be used to compare the kinematics of the two ATDs and to evaluate the performance of the HIII-RS abdominal instrumentation under simulated collision conditions. The sled tests shall be conducted in accordance with sled test requirements defined in Section 5 of APTA PR-CS-S-018-013 (see Attachment No. 4). Test data will be collected and reported, including time history data from transducers, high-speed digital video, and still photographs.

The contractor shall provide the HIII-RS ATD, a standard HIII 50th percentile male ATD, in accordance with 49CFR572 Subpart E, and one or two double-passenger seats. The U.S. Government shall provide two workstation tables.

The contractor shall perform the following tasks:

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 OPTION A TASK 1 - MANAGEMENT PLAN

The contractor shall develop a management plan that describes the plan to complete the work required in Section 5. This plan shall include a milestone chart describing the schedule for initiating and completing each of the tasks, and the resources required to complete each task. The management plan shall be reviewed and approved by the COR.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 OPTION A TASK 2 - TEST IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The contractor shall develop a test implementation plan describing how the sled tests will be conducted, including a description of the test setup, test sled, instrumentation, and data acquisition. The test implementation plan shall be reviewed and approved by the COR before the Contractor proceeds to the next task.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 OPTION A TASK 3 - CONDUCT SLED TESTS The contractor shall conduct two sled tests in accordance with the requirements in Section 5 of APTA PR-CS-S-018-013 (see Attachment J-1), and the test implementation plan developed in Task 5.2. The COR shall have the option of attending each test. The contractor shall work with the COR to determine mutually agreeable test date(s). The testing date(s) shall be determined at least 45 days in advance to provide ample time for the COR to make foreign travel arrangements. The electronic test measurements shall be submitted to the COR within two weeks of test completion.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 OPTION A TASK 4 - DATA PROCESSING

After the tests, the contractor shall process the test data to produce the results described in the Section 5.2 in APTA PR-CS-S-018-013. Test results shall be compared to the performance requirements in Section 5.3 of APTA PR-CS-S-018-013. The contractor shall describe any data filters and data processing algorithms. The electronic test data, including pre- and post-test photographs and video, shall be submitted to the COR within four weeks of test completion.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 2 OPTION A TASK 5 - PREPARE TEST REPORT

The Contractor shall prepare a report that includes a written description of the test setup and implementation, data measured, and test results, in accordance with APTA PR-CS-S-018-013, including graphs of all the measurements taken and pre- and post-test photographs, and test videos. The report will also include a brief analysis of abdominal measurements, and any issues or concerns with the performance of the abdominal transducers or design. The written report shall be formatted according to the MSWord template that is included as Attachment No. 2.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

Table 1. Schedule of Deliverables

Purchase Order (CLIN 0001)

Option A (CLIN 0002)

All deliverables for the COR shall be electronically submitted to Kristine Severson, via email at Kristine.severson@dot.gov.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance for the work in this purchase order will begin on the date of award through May 15, 2015.

The period of performance for the work in Option A will begin on the date of award through October 30, 2015.

LISTNUM NumberDefault \l 1 REFERENCES [1] Haffner, M., R. Eppinger, N. Rangarajan, T. Shams, M. Artis, and D. Beach. Foundations and Elements of the NHTSA THOR Alpha ATD Design. Presented at 17th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Amsterdam, Holland, 2001.

[2] Parent, D., Tyrell, D., Perlman, A.B., "Evaluating Abdominal Injury in Workstation Table Impacts," Compendium of Papers, 84th Annual Meeting, Transportation Research Board, January 2005.

[3] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “THOR Certification Manual, Revision 2005.2,” Report No: GESAC-05-04, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, March 2005.

APPENDIX A. TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR

HIII-RS ABDOMINAL IMPACT TESTS

A.1 Introduction This document describes the test requirements for a series of abdominal impact tests on the HIII-RS ATD under a range of impact conditions. The variables in the test matrix include the impact location, the velocity and geometry of the impactor, and the design of the abdominal foam and bag used to house the foam. Performance of the abdominal displacement transducers and the different abdominal designs will be evaluated in terms of biofidelity, repeatability, and sensitivity to the location, velocity, and geometry of the impactor.

The face of the impactor, representing a train table, is either a rigid, cylindrical rod with a diameter of 25 or 50 mm, or a 25 mm-diameter partial steering wheel (to be consistent with abdominal certification tests based on cadaver testing). The impactor will strike the HIII-RS at multiple locations, between the upper and lower abdomen, using a range of impact velocities.

The deformation measured by the abdominal transducers will be compared to the displacement of the impactor to evaluate accuracy of the transducers. The deformation-time histories and force-displacement histories will be compared to the performance requirements in the THOR Certification Manual [1] for the upper and lower abdomen. The injury data calculated from tests with variable impact location, geometry, and velocity will be compared to evaluate the abdominal injury sensitivity to these variables. The data collected from tests with identical initial conditions will be compared to evaluate repeatability.

A.2

METHODOLOGY

The test procedures in this document are intended to be similar to the procedures in the THOR Certification Manual, which describe test requirements to qualify different body components of the THOR ATD. The THOR Certification Manual relies on NHTSA-sponsored post-mortem human surrogate (PMHS) impact tests, which were used to develop the desired response corridors for the THOR ATD. The intent in following these established procedures for the upper and lower abdomen is to compare similar sets of data and determine if the HIII-RS abdominal response falls within the bounds of the response corridors for these three body components.

The dynamic load applied to the abdomen represents an impact with a workstation table. The face of the impactor will be either a rigid, cylindrical rod of 25 or 50 mm in diameter, or a 25 mm-diameter partial steering wheel. The cylindrical rod will be attached to an impact device. The geometry, mass, and velocity of the impactors have been chosen to match those specified in the THOR Certification Manual, and are defined in tables below.

The load applied via the cylindrical rod or steering wheel shall be centered on the front of the ATD and applied in a horizontal plane. The load may be applied via a pendulum falling due to gravity, or a linear actuator, or another means, provided that the velocity vector is controlled.

The tests are organized into five series to assess the influence of different factors as follows:

Biofidelity - The first series of impact tests will be conducted at a nominal location, i.e., centered between the respective displacement transducers on the upper and lower abdomen, in accordance with the THOR Certification Manual, to evaluate biofidelity of three different abdominal designs. Assuming that at least one of the abdominal designs is sufficiently biofidelic, then the design that best meets the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal tests will be selected for the subsequent tests.

Impactor geometry and location sensitivity - A second series of tests will be conducted at multiple locations on the upper and lower abdomen with the same velocity as the first series of tests. For the upper abdomen tests, the 25 mm-diameter steering wheel will be replaced with a 25mm-diameter cylindrical rod, as this geometry is more representative of a workstation table. The impacts will be centered between the respective displacement transducers (at the height of the transducers), and 25 mm above and below the transducers. The test results will be compared to evaluate the sensitivity to impactor geometry and location.

Table thickness sensitivity – A third series of tests will be conducted at multiple locations on the upper and lower abdomen, using a 50 mm-diameter rod, which is more representative of newer workstation tables. The impacts will be centered between the respective displacement transducers, and 25 mm above and below the transducers. The test results will be compared to evaluate the sensitivity to the thickness of the impactor.

Repeatability tests – A fourth series of tests will be conducted at the same nominal location, i.e., centered between the respective displacement transducers on the upper and lower abdomen, using a 50 mm-diameter rod. The test results will be analyzed to evaluate the repeatability.

Velocity sensitivity – A fifth series of tests will be conducted at the same nominal location, i.e., centered between the respective displacement transducers on the upper and lower abdomen, using a 50 mm-diameter rod, at two additional velocities.

A.3

ABDOMINAL IMPACT TESTS

A.3.1

TEST SETUP

1. Soak the HIII-RS ATD in a controlled environment at a temperature between 69° and 72°F overnight prior to testing. The test environment has the same temperature as the soak environment.

2. Inspect the abdomen foam and the outer covering for wear, tears, or other damage. Prior to assembly the abdomen is also inspected for any permanent set.

3. The dummy is dressed in long thermal-type clothing. The dummy is seated on a thin plastic sheet. The lower extremities are stretched horizontally and the upper extremities are raised to allow positioning of the torso and impactor (the arms may be taped lightly to a support bar). The back of the torso is unsupported. See Figure A-1 for approximate positioning.

4. Adjust the dummy so that the orientation of the spine (when measured at the height of the impact point) is vertical (+/- 5°).

5. For each test, a rigid, cylindrical rod (25 or 50 mm diameter, 30 cm in length) or partial steering wheel is attached to a pendulum or linear impactor, with a total mass of 18 or 32 kg. The long axis of the cylindrical rod is perpendicular to the spine (see schematic in Figure A-1). The impact system is exercised prior to ATD testing to verify that the specific impact velocities can be achieved within +/- 0.1 m/s. The lateral and vertical velocity components shall be less than 0.1 m/s.

6. Tri-acceleration and impact load in the horizontal plane are measured by a load cell and accelerometer, positioned at the interface between the rigid bar and impact mass.

7. The impactor is positioned such that it impacts the ATD, normal to the torso, at different vertical locations relative to the upper and lower abdominal transducers, and velocities, per the test matrices defined below.

8. The polarity conventions and data acquisition system conform to requirements of SAE Recommended Practice J211. Data sampling rates shall be at least 10,000 samples/second.

9. Position/orientation targets are placed on end of the rigid cylindrical rod (in view of the side camera), and mounted to a hard feature, e.g., the spine, on the side of the ATD, at the same height as the impact rod.

10. Each test is captured using high-speed (i.e., at least 1000 frames per second) digital cameras providing a frontal view and a side view. Lighting is sufficient for high-quality analysis of the recording.

11. Pre-and post-test still digital photographs of the test configuration are taken. At a minimum, photographs of the test articles are taken laterally from each side, obliquely, and from the front.

Figure A-1. Schematic of ATD and Impactor

A.3.2 TEST CONDITIONS

A series of impact tests will be conducted at the upper and lower abdomen of the ATD. The total mass, impactor geometry, vertical impact location, velocity, and kinetic energy are specified in the tables below. See the photograph in Figure A-2 for vertical impact location identification.

Figure A-2. Schematic of HIII-RS depicting transducer locations

A.3.2.1 BIOFIDELITY TESTS - UPPER ABDOMEN WITH 25 MM STEERING WHEEL

These tests are similar to the upper abdomen test in the THOR certification manual (derived from Nusholtz, 1992 [2]) in terms of mass (18 kg), impact location (~L2), and velocity (3.9 to 10.8 m/s in actual tests, 8.0 m/s specified in THOR certification test). These tests use a steering wheel-shaped impactor, per the schematic in Figure A-3 below. The steering wheel will be mounted at an angle of 30° with respect to vertical. The bottom of the steering wheel will be positioned to impact the torso at the vertical location of the DGSP transducers. The same test will be conducted on three different abdominal bag designs, at the location of the DGSP transducers, to evaluate the influence of the bag design on DGSP response.

Figure A-3. Schematic of Steering Wheel Shaped Impactor Table A - 1. Conditions for Biofidelity Tests on the Upper Abdomen

Diameter

BIOFIDELITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.2 BIOFIDELITY TESTS - LOWER ABDOMEN WITH 25 MM DIAMETER ROD

These tests are similar to the lower abdomen test in the THOR certification manual (Cavanaugh, 1986 [3]) in terms of mass (32 kg), rod (25 mm diameter), impact location (~L3, or umbilicus), and velocity (4.9 to 7.2 m/s in actual tests, 6.1 m/s specified in THOR certification test). The same test will be conducted on three different abdominal bag designs, at the vertical location of the string potentiometers, to evaluate the influence of the bag design on the string potentiometer response.

Table A - 2. Conditions for Biofidelity Tests on the Lower Abdomen

Diameter

A.3.2.3 IMPACTOR GEOMETRY AND LOCATION TESTS - UPPER ABDOMEN WITH 25 MM DIAMETER ROD This series of tests, and all subsequent test series, will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the upper abdomen tests in the THOR certification manual (derived from Nusholtz, 1992) in terms of mass (18 kg), impact location (~L2), and velocity (8.0 m/s). These tests use a 25 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a steering wheel with vertical variations in the impact location, to evaluate the influence of impactor geometry and location on the DGSP response.

Table A - 3. Conditions for Impactor Geometry and Location Tests on the Upper Abdomen

Diameter

A.3.2.4 IMPACTOR LOCATION TESTS - LOWER ABDOMEN WITH 25 MM DIAMETER ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the lower abdomen tests in the THOR certification manual in terms of mass (32 kg), rod (25 mm diameter), impact location (L3, or umbilicus), and velocity (6.1 m/s). The vertical impact location is varied in this test series, to evaluate the influence of impactor location on the string potentiometer response.

Table A - 4. Conditions for Impactor Location Tests on the Lower Abdomen

Diameter

LOCATION SENSIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.5 TABLE THICKNESS SENSTIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN WITH 50 MM ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the upper abdomen tests in the THOR certification. These tests use a 50 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a steering wheel, to evaluate the influence of impactor thickness on the DGSP response.

Table A - 5. Conditions for Table Thickness Tests on the Upper Abdomen

Diameter

THICKNESS SENSIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.6 TABLE THICKNESS SENSTIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN WITH 50 MM ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the lower abdomen tests in the THOR certification. These tests use a 50 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a 25 mm rod, to evaluate the influence of impactor thickness on the string potentiometer response.

Table A - 6. Conditions for Table Thickness Tests on the Lower Abdomen

Diameter

THICKNESS SENSIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.7 REPEATABILITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN WITH 50 MM ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the upper abdomen tests in the THOR certification. These tests use a 50 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a steering wheel, to evaluate the repeatability of the DGSP response in combination with a thicker table.

Table A - 7. Conditions for Repeatability Tests on the Upper Abdomen

Diameter

REPEATABILITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.8 REPEATABILITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN WITH 50 MM ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the lower abdomen tests in the THOR certification manual. These tests use a 50 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a 25 mm rod, at the location of the string potentiometers, to evaluate the repeatability of the string potentiometer response in combination with a thicker table.

Table A - 8. Conditions for Repeatability Tests on the Lower Abdomen

Diameter

REPEATABILITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.9 VELOCITY SENSITIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN WITH 50 MM ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the upper abdomen tests in the THOR certification. These tests use a 50 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a steering wheel, impacting the upper abdomen at the DGSP transducers, to evaluate the sensitivity of the DGSP response to changes in impact velocity.

Table A - 9. Conditions for Velocity Sensitivity Tests on the Upper Abdomen

Diameter

VELOCITY SENSIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

A.3.2.10 VELOCITY SENSITIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN WITH 50 MM ROD

This series of tests will be conducted on the abdominal design that best met the performance criteria in both the upper and lower abdominal biofidelity tests. These tests are similar to the lower abdomen tests in the THOR certification manual. These tests use a 50 mm-diameter cylindrical rod instead of a 25 mm rod, impacting the lower abdomen at the string potentiometers, to evaluate the sensitivity of the string potentiometer response to changes in impact velocity.

Table A - 10. Conditions for Velocity Sensitivity Tests on the Lower Abdomen

Diameter

VELOCITY SENSIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

For convenience, a summary table of all abdominal impact tests with test variables identified is provided below in Table A-11.

Table A - 11. Summary of Test Conditions for All Impact Tests

Diameter

BIOFIDELITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

BIOFIDELITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

IMPACTOR GEOMETRY AND LOCATION SENSIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

LOCATION SENSIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

THICKNESS SENSIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

THICKNESS SENSIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

REPEATABILITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

REPEATABILITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

VELOCITY SENSIVITY TESTS – UPPER ABDOMEN

VELOCITY SENSIVITY TESTS – LOWER ABDOMEN

A.3.3

TEST MEASUREMENTS

Instrumentation shall be checked prior to each test to ensure that no occurred during the previous test.

The following test data shall be measured and documented. Data shall be filtered in accordance with SAE J211.1, unless otherwise noted in this document, and the Channel Frequency Class (CFC) shall be identified on each plot.

Acceleration time histories (longitudinal, unless otherwise noted):

· chest (triaxial)

· spine

· pelvis

· rigid impactor (triaxial) Velocity:

· Velocity of impactor at time of contact, measured my magnetic pick-up or alternate means Deflection-time histories from HIII-RS instrumentation (CFC180):

· Left and right upper CRUX

· Left and right lower CRUX

· Left and right DGSP transducers

· Left and right string potentiometers Longitudinal displacement-time histories of the rigid impactor:

· via video analysis

· via integration of impactor accelerometer

Longitudinal displacement-time histories of the ATD target:

· via video analysis Forces:

· impact force-time history at contact face Using an in-line load cell measuring axial force and a linear accelerometer along the line of impact, the mass in front of the load cell, including half the load cell mass should be recorded to determine the inertial correction to the load cell reading. The impact force is given by:

Fi = -FLC + mf*a where: FLC = load cell measurement mf = mass in front of load cell a = impactor acceleration A.3.4

TEST DOCUMENTATION

Plots of all time-histories measured in the tests shall be documented in the final report. All time-history data measured and calculated shall be provided in electronic format, with units, CFC filter, and identification for each channel clearly identified. The following injury criteria shall be calculated and documented. All data shall be filtered in accordance with SAE J211.1, unless otherwise noted in this document, and the Channel Frequency Class (CFC) shall be identified on each plot. Where applicable, injury criteria shall be calculated in accordance with 49 CFR 571.208. All electronic measurement data and digital photographs shall also be submitted on CD or other suitable means.

Injury criteria:

· 3ms chest acceleration

· Upper thorax viscous criterion (from individual upper CRUX transducers and average)

· Lower thorax viscous criterion (from individual lower CRUX transducers and average)

· Upper abdominal viscous criterion (from individual DGSP transducers and average)

· Lower abdominal viscous criterion (from individual linear string pots and average)

· Peak upper thorax compression (from individual upper CRUX transducers and average)

· Peak lower thorax compression (from individual lower CRUX transducers and average)

· Peak upper abdominal compression (from individual DGSP transducers and average)

· Peak lower abdominal compression (from individual linear string pots and average)

The contractor shall also describe in the documentation how the data for the injury criteria was filtered and calculated.

High-speed video:

· Digital video captured from each high-speed camera Digital photographs:

· Pre- and post-test photographs of the ATD and rigid impactor

A.4

REFERENCES

[1] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “THOR Certification Manual, Revision 2005.2,” Report No: GESAC-05-04, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, March 2005.

[2] Nusholtz, G., and Kaiker, P., Abdominal Response to Steering Wheel Loading, Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, 1994.

[3] Cavanaugh, J.M., Nyquist, G.W., Goldberg S.J., King, A.I., “Lower abdominal tolerance and Response,” Proceedings of the 30th Stapp Car Crash Conference, pp. 41-63. Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA, 1986.

� After Purchase Order Award

� After completion of Biofidelity Tests

� After completion of all tests in Purchase Order

� After Option A Award

� After completion of testing in Option A