Course syllabus for Impact biomechanics

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-17 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameSkadebiomekanik
  • CodeTME196
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPMOB
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyBioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics
  • DepartmentMECHANICS AND MARITIME SCIENCES
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 89133
  • Maximum participants40 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0111 Written and oral assignments, part A 4.5 c
Grading: TH
0 c0 c0 c4.5 c0 c0 c
0211 Examination, part B 3 c
Grading: TH
0 c0 c0 c3 c0 c0 c
  • 28 Maj 2024 am J
  • 07 Okt 2023 am J
  • 19 Aug 2024 am J

In programmes

Examiner

Go to coursepage (Opens in new tab)

Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

BSc in Engineering and good programming skills (ideally in Matlab). TME202 Vehicle and traffic safety is recommended.

Aim

Students are to attain an understanding in human anatomy and physiology so that they can understand the implications of different types of mechanical loads on the body. The student will learn to analyze results obtained from mathematical models of humans, especially on simulation of human tissues. The students are to attain knowledge on how mechanical dummies are designed and how injury tolerance levels and injury criteria are established. By studying impact biomechanics in the vehicle safety setting, the students will learn the principles of injury reduction trough restraints for different body regions, crash situations and for occupant diversity. The students will learn methods to use accident analyses/reconstructions to suggest restraint design improvements.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

- describe the basic structure and mechanical properties of various body parts 
- describe how different body regions respond to static and transient loads; biomechanical and physiological response (fundamental principles of injury biomechanics) 
- discuss the concept of injury criteria, injury risk functions and injury thresholds
- suggest appropriate model, e.g. subtypes of mechanical, biological or mathematical models, in various different types of studies in the field of passive safety 
- describe how restraints can reduce injury risk 
- describe how a vehicle accident analysis and reconstruction is carried out and how such data can be used to specify product requirements 
- describe how near-crash activated reversible safety systems will reduce injury risk if the crash occurs.

Content

The course consists of lectures, seminars and laboratory exercises. The lectures will cover:
- Fundamental anatomy and physiology and response to loads.
- Biomechanical tolerance levels, injury mechanisms and protection criteria.
- Biological models (cadavers, animals, human volunteers) and experimental studies.
- Mechanical models, crash test dummies, instrumentation, measuring methods for transient events and crash test methods. - Mathematical models (FEM, rigid body, and hybrid models) used for analysing vehicle-occupant interactions (pre-crash and in-crash) as well as accident analyses and reconstructions.
- Methods for acquiring accident data, coding and classifying injuries, assessing risk of permanent disability.
- Protection system techniques, protection systems for different road-user categories, protection for different body parts for various crash configurations

Organisation

- Lectures - Assignments

Literature

To be defined. To some extent: Trauma Biomechanics - Accident Injury in Traffic and Sports; Kai-Uwe Scmitt et al. 2:nd edition or later, ISBN 978-3-540-73872-5 and handouts of lecture notes as provided by the course homepage

Examination including compulsory elements

- Assignments (A1), 3.75 p, graded - Exam (A2), 3.75 p, graded

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.