Dynamic Behavior of HDPE Fuel Tanks: Assessing Rate-Dependent Stiffness in Finite Element Analysis

High-density polyethylene fuel tanks are commonly used in the automotive industry as a crucial component for transporting and storing combustible liquids. Still, predicting their dynamic behavior with high accuracy remains demanding, considering various loading conditions during a product's life. The study presented in this paper details a modal numerical analysis of the HDPE fuel tank and how different material models, rate-independent and rate-dependent, affect the final results in linear simulations. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) performed in the ANSYS software confirmed that a more detailed rate-dependent material model used during numerical analysis provides more accurate and reliable results.