Vehicle occupant analysis model for vehicle impacts

1. A method of simulating a vehicle impact comprising the steps of:

generating a first finite element model of the vehicle, wherein the first finite element model includes a plurality of boundary points on the vehicle chosen from a group consisting of a left hinge pillar, a right hinge pillar, a steering gear, a middle point on a steering column, a left mid sill, an inboard side of a toe pan, an outboard side of the toe pan, a base of a gas pedal, a forward inboard attachment bracket of a seat, a rearward inboard attachment bracket of the seat, a forward outboard attachment bracket of the seat, a rearward outboard attachment bracket of the seat, and a combination thereof;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the first finite element model to generate impact data at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model;

generating a multi-body model that includes a vehicle occupant and at least one vehicle component, wherein the multi-body model includes a plurality of boundary points that coincide with the boundary points included in the first finite element model;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the multi-body model by inputting impact data generated at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model into the boundary points of the multi-body model;

generating a partial vehicle finite element model that includes a plurality of master nodes and a plurality of slave nodes, wherein boundary conditions input at the master nodes generates output data at the slave nodes;

generating a coupled model that includes at least a portion of the multi-body model and at least a portion of the partial vehicle finite element model; and

running at least one impact simulation with the coupled model to thereby identify the effects of the impact on at least one of the vehicle and the occupant of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first finite element model comprises a vehicle body, a plurality of tires, at least one seat and a steering column.

3. The model of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of uncoupling the coupled model by analyzing only components of one of the multi-body model and the partial vehicle finite element model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vehicle component of the multi-body model comprises an overhead pillar, a steering column, a knee blocker, a toepan, at least one seat, an airbag, and a seatbelt assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein multi-body model includes a plurality of systems that are each located relative to a master joint, and wherein global vehicle displacements are inputted at the master joint.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the master joint is a free joint.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the multi-body model comprises inputting an initial acceleration to the multi-body model.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the partial vehicle finite element model includes a hinge pillar, a windshield, an Instrument panel, a steering column, and at least one seat.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master joints included in the partial vehicle finite element model are included at a hinge pillar and an attachment bracket of a seat.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coupled model includes redundant components.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the coupled model includes a steering wheel from the multi-body model and redundantly includes a steering wheel from the partial vehicle model.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the coupled model includes a seat from the multi-body model and redundanuy includes a seat from the partial vehicle model.

13. A method of simulating a vehicle impact comprising the steps of:

generating a first finite element model of the vehicle, wherein the first finite element model includes a plurality of boundary paints on the vehicle;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the first finite element model to generate impact data at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model;

generating a multi-body model that includes a vehicle occupant, an overhead pillar, a steering column, a knee blocker, a toe pan, at least one seat, an airbag, and a seatbelt assembly, wherein the multi-body model includes a plurality of boundary points that coincide with the boundary points included in the first finite element model;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the multi-body model by inputting impact data generated at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model into the boundary points of the multi-body model;

generating a partial vehicle finite element model that includes a plurality of master nodes and a plurality of slave nodes, wherein boundary conditions input at the master nodes generates output data at the slave nodes;

generating a coupled model that includes at least a portion of the multi-body model and at least a portion of the partial vehicle finite element model; and

running at least one impact simulation with the coupled model to thereby identity the effects of the impact on at least one of the vehicle and the occupant of the vehicle.

14. A method of simulating a vehicle impact comprising the steps of:

generating a first finite element model of the vehicle, wherein the first finite element model includes a plurality of boundary points on the vehicle;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the first finite element model to generate impact data at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model;

generating a niufti-body model that includes a vehicle occupant and at least one vehicle component, wherein the multi-body model includes a plurality of boundary points that coincide with the boundary points included in the first finite element model;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the multi-body model by inputting impact data generated at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model into the boundary points of the multi-body model;

generating a partial vehicle finite element model including a hinge pillar, a windshield, an instrument panel, a steering column, and at least one seat and that includes a plurality of master nodes and a plurality of slave nodes, wherein boundary conditions input at the master nodes generates output data at the slave nodes;

generating a coupled model that includes at least a portion of the multi-body model and at least a portion of the partial vehicle finite element model; and

running at least one impact simulation with the coupled model to thereby identify the effects of the impact on at least one of the vehicle and the occupant of the vehicle.

15. A method of simulating a vehicle impact comprising the steps of:

generating a first finite element model of the vehicle, wherein the first finite element model includes a plurality of boundary points on the vehicle;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the first finite element model to generate impact data at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model;

generating a multi-body model that includes a vehicle occupant and at least one vehicle component, wherein the multi-body model includes a plurality of boundary points that coincide with the boundary points included in the first finite element model;

running at least one vehicle impact simulation on the multi-body model by inputting impact data generated at each of the boundary points of the first finite element model into the boundary points of the multi-body model;

generating a partial vehicle finite element model that includes a plurality of master nodes and a plurality of slave nodes, wherein baundary conditions input at the master nodes generates output data at the slave nodes;

generating a coupled model that includes at least a portion of the multi-body model and at least a portion of the partial vehicle finite element model such that the coupled model includes a steering wheel from the multi-body model and redundantly includes a steering wheel from the partial vehicle model; and

running at least one impact simulation with the coupled model to thereby identify the effects of the impact on at least one of the vehicle and the occupant of the vehicle.