Verification of Fatigue Damage and Prognosis Related to Degradation of Polymer-Ceramic

Statistically, road accidents involving pedestrians occur in the autumn and winter months, when outdoor temperatures reach −30 °C. The research presented in this paper investigates the impact of a pedestrian’s head on laminated windscreen, taking into account the effects of external temperature, heating of the windscreen from the inside, and fatigue of the glass. The automotive laminated windscreen under study is made from two layers of glass and a Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) resin bonding them together. PVB significantly changes its properties with temperature. The Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations of a pedestrian’s head hitting the windscreen of an Opel Astra II at <−30 °C, +20 °C> were performed. The obtained Head Injury Criterion (HIC) results revealed an almost twofold decrease in safety between +20 °C and −20 °C. The same test was then performed taking into account the heating of the windscreen from the inside and the fatigue of the glass layers. Surprisingly, the highest HIC value of all the cases studied was obtained at −30 °C and heating the windscreen. The nature of safety changes with temperature variation is different for the cases of heating, non-heating, and fatigue of glass layers. Glass fatigue increases pedestrian safety throughout the temperature range analysed.