Investigating the Crashworthiness Performance of Hybrid Composite F1 Nose Cones: A Benchmarked Hierarchical Approach

Formula One (F1) safety structures face a critical design conflict as they require high specific stiffness to minimize mass yet must exhibit progressive crushing to limit deceleration forces. While hybrid Carbon/Kevlar composites offer a solution, their interacting failure mechanisms are poorly predicted by traditional isotropic design methods. This thesis develops and benchmarks a hierarchical computational framework to resolve these mechanisms and optimize hybrid crashworthiness under FIA regulations.
At the micro-scale, Phase Field fracture modelling identifies fundamental damage triggers. A key contribution is the resolution of Kevlar/Epoxy anisotropy; the study demonstrates that standard isotropic models overestimate transverse stiffness by nearly 70%. The developed anisotropic RVE model predicts a corrected modulus of E22=5.15 GPa, aligning with experimental benchmarks. Furthermore, the fracture model captures the crack initiation angle with a deviation of only 1.6% (62° vs. 61° experimental), significantly outperforming standard XFEM approaches (18% error). These calibrated properties inform a meso-scale Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) model. Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) simulations identified a “Crack-Arrest” mechanism in hybrid topologies. The Carbon-Outer/Kevlar-Inner configuration matched the peak force of monolithic carbon (+1.6%) while absorbing 38.6% more energy through controlled delamination. To assess the framework for high-energy axial crushing, simulations were benchmarked against Formula Student experiments, achieving a correlation error of less than 3.5%. This analysis quantified the topological trade-off the Carbon-Outer/Kevlar-Inner configuration optimized occupant safety (lowest peak deceleration of 33.11 G vs 42.89 G baseline), while the Kevlar-Outer configuration maximized Specific Energy Absorption (SEA) to 43.98 kJ/kg.
Finally, a parametric optimization workflow identified a hybrid F1 nose cone layup that capped Peak Deceleration at 36.84 G (safely below the FIA 40G limit), achieving a 22.8% reduction in G-forces. This work defines a verified, physics-based strategy that resolves the stiffness-toughness conflict in high-performance safety structures.