Citation

Hallman JJ, Yoganandan N, Pintar FA. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2011; 43(3): 829-839.

Affiliation

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2010.11.002

PMID

21376873

PMCID

PMC3073603

Abstract

The relationship between thoracic injury risk and parameters of door velocity and occupant distance was delineated in blunt lateral impact with side airbag deployment. A sled impact model was exercised with the validated MADYMO fiftieth percentile facet occupant model and a generalized finite element torso side airbag. Impact velocity was incremented from 4.0 to 9.0m/s; occupant-airbag distance (at time of airbag activation) was incremented from 2.0 to 24.0cm; simulations without airbag were also examined. Using compression, deflection rate, and the Viscous Criterion, airbag performance was characterized with respect to occupant injury risk at three points of interest: occupant distance of most protection, distance of greatest injury risk, and the newly defined critical distance. The occupant distance which demonstrated the most airbag protection, i.e., lowest injury risk, increased with increasing impact velocity. Greatest injury risk resulted when the occupant was nearest the airbag regardless of impact velocity. The critical distance was defined as the farthest distance at which airbag deployment exacerbated injury risk. This critical distance only varied considering chest compression, between 3 and 10cm from the airbag, but did not vary when the Viscous Criterion was evaluated. At impact velocities less than or equal to 6m/s, the most protective occupant location was within 2cm of the critical distance at which the airbag became harmful. Therefore, injury mitigation with torso airbag may be more difficult to achieve at lower ΔV.

Language: en