Computer aided design and analysis, and experimental validation of medical ambulance main stretcher fixation system resilient to high severity crash loading

Date

2024-1-23

Author

Gürer, Batuhan

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According to CEN 1789 and TS EN 1789 Road Ambulance Safety Regulations, a 10 g acceleration value in 5 directions (i.e., front, rear, right, left, and vertical) is applied in the sled tests in European countries and Turkey. However, higher acceleration values in 4 directions (i.e., front, rear, right, and left) are applied in sled tests according to USA, Australia, and New Zealand regulations. On the other hand, drivers of ambulances may not obey traffic rules and speed limits. Most traffic accidents involving ambulances are due to high speed and traffic light violations. Therefore, the test conditions in European countries and Turkey are expected to become more challenging in the coming years. In this thesis study, a novel stretcher fixation system resilient to 27 g in 5 directions (i.e., front, rear, right, left, and vertical) has been developed. Since no ambulance main stretcher in the world can withstand such a high acceleration loading value, a surrogate stretcher simulating the total mass of the ambulance main stretcher and patient has also been designed for the sled tests of the novel stretcher fixation system. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been performed for the stretcher fixation system and the surrogate stretcher. The sled tests in 5 directions have been conducted at METU-BILTIR Centre Vehicle Safety Unit. The FEA predictions are compared with the sled test results, and good agreement is observed between them.

Subject Keywords

Crashworthiness, Ambulance main stretcher, Stretcher fixation mechanism, Surrogate stretcher, High severity loading

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/108355

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis