In this paper a unique blister-inflation technique is described. This technique was used to evaluate the fabric properties necessary for energy dissipation. The performance of fabrics woven from two traditional commercial polymeric fibers offered for airbag construction were examined: (1) a traditional polyamide nylon 66; and (2) a high strenth poly(ethylene terephthalate). These two fabrics, with differences in fiber denier and weave, were evaluated for five different inflation temperature levels and at eleven different pressure drops. A kinetic-energy model was developed to account for the energy that should be dissipated by four different mechanisms. The paper focuses on and compares airbags made from the polymeric fibers which contain no vents. Based on the proposed model predictions, existing airbags appear to be adequate in their ability to dissipate energy over a rather short time frame.
Abstract