The topic of this study is the problem of out-of-position children being hit by a deploying passenger airbag. BMW in Germany and TNO in the Netherlands joined their efforts to tackle this very serious problem. A number of out-of-position airbag deployment experiments have been performed using the P3 child dummy. In addition an in-position frontal-impact crash-test has been performed using the 50th %ile Hybrid III dummy. The experimental results show that the in-position adult will not sustain any serious injury in a frontal-impact crash. The out-of-position child, however, runs a high risk of being seriously injured by the airbag. To study this problem MADYMO simulation models of the experimental set-ups have been created, using a sophisticated finite element airbag model capable of simulating the airbag deployment in detail. The simulation results of these models have been correlated with their specific experiments. The correlation showed the finite element airbag model was equally capable of simulatiing out-of-position occupant behaviour, as well as normal in-position behaviour. Two simulation models, one of the out-of-position child models and a low severity frontal-impact in-position adult model, have been subjected to an optimization study. The inflator mass flow and the airbag vent were optimized in order to obtain acceptable injury results for both the adult and the child simultaneously. The optimization results showed there is a theoretical possibility of maintaining a proper level of safety for an in-position adult, while signifcantly reducing the injury criteria for an out-of-position child, by adjusting the mass flow of an inflator.
Out-of-position occupant phenomenon - how to de-power your airbags
Tagung der VDI-Gesellschaft Fahrzeug- und Verkehrstechnik, Innovativer Insassenschutz im PKW, 1997 ; 103-120
VDI-Berichte ; 1354
1997
18 Seiten, 12 Bilder, 4 Tabellen
Conference paper
English
Personenverkehr , Sicherheitsanalyse , Sicherheitseinrichtung (Fahrzeuginsasse) , Treibgas , Verkehrsunfall , Unfallanalyse , Unfallverhütung , Position , Finite-Elemente-Methode , Simulationsprogramm , Simulationsmodell , Blasen , Korrelation , Aufprall , Aufprallversuch , Aufprallpuffer , Prozessoptimierung , Fahrzeugausrüstung , Massestrom , Airbag , Kind , Gasentladung (Plasma) , Sitzposition
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