Airbags

What are Airbags?

• Supplementary Restraint System for driver and/or
passenger safety in case of a crash.
• Basic Mechanism: A thin nylon bag in the steering wheel
/ above glove compartment inflates in the event of an
impact and prevents the driver/passenger from hitting the
steering wheel/dashboard.
• 3 Main Components: 1) Airbag module
2) Diagnostic Unit
3) Crash sensors
 Airbag Module
• Contains both inflator unit and light-weight fabric airbag and is located
either inside: 1) Steering wheel hub 2) Above glove compartment
3) Near side compartment (as separate/combined
head/side/window-curtain airbag)
• Airbag: Thin nylon fabric bag folded neatly into steering wheel that
inflates to the size of a large beach ball on impact.
• Inflator unit: Contains a number of sodium azide pellets which are
electrically ignited to produce N2 that then fills the airbag. This is
preferred to storing compressed gas in the unit (space, durability)
• Both airbag and inflator unit are for single deployment only – ie have
to be replaced after a crash
 Diagnostic Unit
• Enables inflator unit and sensors when vehicle is turned on, performs
self check.
• Constantly monitors airbag readiness and indicates malfunctioning
through an indicator on dashboard
• Usually stores electricity to activate airbag in the event that a crash
damages the battery / link to battery

Sensors
• Several crash sensors located in the front of vehicle and in the
passenger compartment
• Each senses the sudden deceleration or impact in the event of a crash
and flips a mechanical switch to indicate a crash.
 Airbag Deployment
• Frontal crash scenario: Car crashes into an
obstacle (wall) at 20+ mph
• Sensors detect the deceleration and inflator
unit activated
• Deployment sensitivity: To guard against
accidental inflation on hard braking, sensors
detect collisions into a solid barrier at speeds greater than 8-14 mph
only as impacts
• An electric current is used to heat a filament wire that ignites the NaN3
capsules, producing N2:
2NaN3  2Na + 3N2
10Na + 2KNO3 K2O + 5Na2O+ N2
K2O + Na2O SiO2 alkaline glass (safe, unignitable)
130 g of NaN3 produces 67 ltrs of Na
 Airbag Deployment
• The airbag then inflates fully at speeds > 320mph within 0.05s of crash.
For maximum safety, occupant must have seat belt on and sit with chest
10” from steering wheel
• Immediately after full inflation, the airbag deflates through tiny pores on
the surface within 0.3s

Accelerometer
 Additional Features
• An on/off switch
• Combination with seat-belt pre-tensioners and other safety
systems
• Inflation in the event of fire (high temp.) to prevent
explosion of solid compound
• Depowering and differential powering
• Small rapid deployment airbags for side impact at roof-rail or
door or seat back.
eg: 1) Beltline Head/Torso Side Airbag 2) Inflatable
Tubular Structure
Electromechanical Crash Sensors
Fluid pressure based weight sensors
 Smart Restraint System
• Is one that adapts its geometry,
performance or behavior to suit
varying impact types and/or
occupants & occ. posns.
• Must be able to distinguish
between:
– RFIS & child seat
– Child
– Adult
– Empty
– Subsets of possible seating
posns. for above (< / >10”)
– Belted / non-belted
– Crash severity
– Crash direction
• ie, a smart restraint system must
be able to update itself on the
following:
– Occ. characterisation
– Occ. location
• Accordingly decides:
– Which airbags to deploy when
– Full blown / supressed
– Seat belt pre-tensioning,
retraction/collapse of parts
– Direction of deployment
– Sequencing & Timing
– Post deployment action
 Smart Restraints
• Detection types:
– mechanical
– spatial
– other
• Means of detection:
– Weight & distribution (3)
– Seat belt (webbing , rotation
ctr & buckle)
– Active Infra-red (OOP sense)
– Ultrasonic
– Radar/Microwave
– Capacitive
– tags for RFIS & smart keys
– Height sensors in seat / belt
• Advance meth. (complex, high
computing power reqd.)
– Passive Infra-red
– Video systems
– Biometric sensing
• Systems must:
– Sequence & time appropriately
– Extremely reliable
– Work within varying auto
interior atmosphere and
lighting
– Differentiate camouflage
– Low cost
 Smart Restraints
• Components
– Side/Variable/dual-stage
airbags
– Seat-belt pre-tensioners
– Side/Central/Satellite/Safing
crash sensors
– Occupant sensors
– Central ECU
– Pre-crash sensors
• Driving states:
– Normal
– Collision avoidable
– Collision imminent
– Post-crash
• Sensor types:
– Electromechanical
– Accelerometers
– Pressure
– Stress-wave
– Pre-crash
• Pre-crash sensing
– More details reqd from sensors
– Advantage: Enables early
decision and pre-tensioning
– Disadv: imprecise object
classification & cost
– Same sensors as those for ACC,
CW/CA