Developing a simplified finite element model of a car seat with occupant for predicting vibration transmissibility in the vertical direction.

The transmissibility of seat depends on the dynamics of both the seat and the human body, and shows how the amplification and attenuation of vibration varies with the frequency of vibration. A systematic methodology was developed for finite element (FE) modelling of the dynamic interaction between a seat and the human body and predicting the transmissibility of a seat. A seat model was developed to improve computational efficiency before models of the seat pan and backrest were calibrated separately using load-deflection and dynamic stiffness measurements, joined to form the complete seat model, and integrated with the model of a manikin for further calibration. The calibrated seat model was combined with a human body model to predict the transmissibility of the seat. By combining a calibrated seat model with a calibrated human body model, and defining appropriate contacts between the two models, the vibration transmissibility with a seat-occupant system can be predicted.
Practitioner Summary: FE models are capable of reflecting complex dynamic characteristics of a seat–body system. A methodology for using FE methods to model a seat–body system to predict seat transmissibility has been demonstrated. The method can be developed to explore how seating dynamics interact with human biodynamics.