Out of position simulation : possibilities and limitations with conventional methods.

This paper concerns the use of numerical simulation processes in the development of air bag restraint systems to reduce injury to out-of-position vehicle occupants. Protection performance must be retained while keeping the energy released as low as possible in risk situations. Design methods using simulation include multiple-body simulation processes and finite element method. Models to represent the out-of-position situation need to describe the physical behaviour of all components and the passenger, and are considered in stages: airbag deployment, the effect of dashboard opening, and load from airbag impact on release with an out-of-position dummy. Difficulties arise in predicting dummy head acceleration and neck bending movement, friction modelling and gas dynamics. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126782.