Effective thoracic mass is a critical parameter in specifying mathematical and mechanical models (such as crash dummies) of humans exposed to impact conditions. A method is developed using a numerical optimizer to determine effective thoracic mass (and mass distribution) given a number of acceleration signals and a force signal response. Utilizing previously reported lateral and frontal tests with human cadaveric test specimens in a number of different conditions, the effective thoracic mass is computed. The effective thoracic masses are then computed for a variety of crash dummies exposed to identical test conditions. The force responses generated using the computed effective thoracic masses are compared to the actual measured force responses. The thoracic mass of the crash dummies is then compared to the values for human cadaveric subjects. The distribution of thoracic mass is found to be a function of test condition. The implications in terms of mathematical model development, crash dummy design, and the appropriateness of various types of tests (e.g. pendulum vs. sled) are discussed.
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