Optimal design of pre-triggering airbag system for occupant protection performance during frontal crashes. (September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiao, Zhi; Wang, Li; Mo, Fuhao; Zhao, Siqi; Liu, Cuina
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Volume 233:Number 11(2019:Nov.)
• Page Start: 2850
• Page End: 2862
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Subjects: Airbag -- pre-triggering -- belt -- occupant injury -- frontal impact; Mechanical engineering -- Congresses; Transportation engineering -- Congresses; 629.2
• DOI: 10.1177/0954407018807330
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-4070

Abstract

With the rapid development of car crash sensing and identification technology, the application of pre-triggering airbag system is becoming an important option to improve vehicle safety. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the injury protection ability of pre-triggering airbag system and optimize its performance in frontal crashes regarding the key physical parameters. A driver restraint system model established and validated by National Crash Analysis Center was employed and validated for studying the injury protection ability of pre-triggering airbag system. Then, the influences of airbag triggering time, airbag volume scaling factor, inflator mass flow, and exhaust orifice size of pre-triggering airbag system on driver's head and chest injuries were analyzed. Finally, the weighted injury criterion was selected as the evaluation index to optimize the pre-triggering airbag system. The results show the pre-triggering airbag should be designed with a larger airbag volume and inflator mass flow rate and smaller exhaust orifice. The optimized restraint system design presents a reduction of weighted injury criterion values in 100% and 40% overlapped frontal impacts reaching 25.63% and 42.23%, respectively.