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RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

Air Bag: A Safety Restraint System of an Automobile.

Tasnim N. Shaikh, Satyajeet Chaudhari and Hiren Rasania
Department of Textile Engineering, Faculty of Technology & Engineering, The Maharaja Sayajirao University
of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Abstract:
The present paper represents a brief review of life saving system in roll- over accidents, while driving on the
road by a four wheeler. An Airbag is an automotive safety restraint system for an occupant as well as
passengers. The system consists of a flexible fabric envelope or cushion, designed to inflate rapidly during an
automobile collision. Its purpose is to cushion occupants during a crash and provide protection to their bodies
when they strike interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window etc. Thus it lowers the number of
injuries by reducing the force exerted by steering wheel, windows and the dashboard at any point on the body.
Continuing research and developments are going on in its module design, combustible material, air bag fabric
design and material, coating etc. in making this life saving safety device further efficient. However, success of
any safety restraint device depends on its correct implementation and certain safety rules to be followed.
Key Words: Air bag, Collision, Occupant, Fatal injury, Safety, Passenger.

I. Introduction the beginning of the motor vehicle safety. It has been

A car becomes an essential feature for any used for the protection of head, knees and legs. Rear
service class as well as businessman to meet with the passenger airbags and side airbags in addition to
stringent demand of hectic lifestyle. Safety of the driver air bag [ figure 1] are developed for providing
driver as well as passengers becomes an important protection in roll- over accidents by shielding the
feature along with comfort and performance of any occupants and passengers from side window glass
family car. Airbags have even been suggested from and protecting the head 1 -9.

Figure 1: Different types of air bags

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II. Airbag consumer did not readily accept them. The market for
An Airbag is an automotive safety restraint airbag was assured by US when the Department of
system. It is an occupant restraint system consisting Transportation (DOT) implemented the “Federal
of a flexible fabric envelope or cushion designed to Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 208” in
inflate rapidly during an automobile collision. Its 1984 as mention above. Because of this law, the US
purpose is to cushion occupants during a crash and leads the commercialization of airbag 2, 24-25.
provide protection to their bodies when they strike The airbags of initial phase were inflated
interior objects such as the steering wheel or a using compressed-gas canisters. However, the
window. Thus it lowers the number of injuries by pressure canisters could only be accommodated in the
reducing the force exerted by steering wheel and the instrument panel. Connection to the steering wheel
dashboard or any point on the body. This is proved problematic since it could only be sealed with
accomplished in two ways, viz; i) by increasing the great difficultly22, 25. In the next development phase
interval over the force being applied or ii) by experiments were carried out with liquefied gas and
spreading the fore over a large area of the body 1 -14. solid fuels. The solid propellant should supply the
thermal energy needed to expand the liquid Fringe.
III. Brief History of the Airbag systems Although the necessary inflation time of 1/30 second
development was reached this system was still too heavy20-25. A
The first concepts for an automatically neoprene-coated polyamide fabric was initially
inflating "air cushion" used as an impact protection determined as a suitable material for the airbag. After
for car passengers were discussed in the sixties, 1970, research concentrated on an inflator filled with
approximately 10 years after corresponding patents solid fuel to inflate the airbag. Together with
had been granted 9. John HETRICK'S 1 patent development partners from the chemicals and
describes a general airbag system in which a self- automotive industries, this method of producing the
opening airbag is automatically inflated following a gas was perfected for series production as of 1974. In
sudden deceleration of the vehicle. December 1980, the first vehicle with a driver airbag
In the USA ordinances “FMVSS 208” was was launched by Mercedes Benz. Seat belt tensioner
passed in the middle of the sixties against the were also offered for the driver and front seat
background of increasing numbers of accidents, to passenger. As of 1988 front-seat passengers were
improve vehicle safety, thereby it called "Safety also protected by an airbag. Since the beginning of
Act"1, 6, 15-19. A bundle of new ordinances were the nineties, all automobile manufacturers have been
planned to improve safety in traffic. It was not until offering airbags as a standard feature or optional
1984, following long and controversial discussions, extra, even in compact class cars1-10.
that an agreement could be reached on the However, the world-wide use of the airbag
introduction of a passive restraint system on system didn't proceed harmoniously since on the US-
September 1, 1989 for all new vehicles registered in American market it is specified as the only restraint
the USA. These automatic restraint systems could be system (passive system) whereas in Europe it has
automatically closing seat belts or the airbag. In order been developed as an additional safety device (SRS:
to be able to comply with the new ordinances Supplemental Restraint System) to the seat belt
(FMVSS 208) immediately after they come into system. These different developments have affected
force, airbag developments were also initiated and the size of the airbag and inflator. As a sole passenger
intensified by European automobile manufacturers; protection system the airbags must be much bigger
primarily by Mercedes-Benz. The basic development and must inflate earlier since the unprotected
of "passive restraint systems" stepped up at passenger collides faster with the instrument panel.
Mercedes-Benz from 1967 onwards. This first The number of persons, driver and passenger killed in
development stage from 1967 to 1972 is referred to traffic has dropped continuously since 1970. Table1
as "the principle functional proof 5-8, 20-23. represents the same statistics for belted, non belted
However, General Motors has also and over all3-7.
introduced its first airbags in the early 1970s but

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Table 1: Effectiveness of Frontal Air bag

As a result of which air bag penetration in the market every region of the vehicle with the stringent demand
has also get hiked from 1999 to 2005 [figure 2]. of the safety [figure 3]5, 9.
Airbag growth has also increased accordingly in

Figure 2: Statistics for Airbag Application in Vehicles

Thus development of Federal rules, increased public

awareness for safety and concern for safety has
enhanced the growth of air bags in the market 7.

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Figure 3: Airbag Unit growth in Vehicles, by Region- 2000 to 20005.

IV. Air bag Production Process by either of the mechanisms of fabric

Typical manufacturing line for air bag has manufacturing, viz; weaving and non- woven fabric
been shown in figure 5. Airbags can be manufactured manufacturing process 4, 14, 18.

Figure 5: Air bag fabric productions flow-chart

V. Materials used in Air bag Usually Rapier with insertion rate of 400 m/min has
Mostly used raw material for the airbag been found most suitable for weaving airbags. Since,
fabric is nylon 6, 6 yarns in the deniers ranging from it can maintain warp tension with accuracy of 1 CN
420 to 840. The side impact airbags used 1880 D per warp12-14. Even water jet and air jet with insertion
nylon- 6.61, 6-9, 25. Table 3 shows the important rate of 600 m/min are being used15. Commonly, the
properties of these commercially used fabrics. They airbag made were coated by neoprene, but recently
are generally woven, with the construction of either silicon coated and uncoated varieties have become
840 X 840 D, 98 X 98 /dm plain weave, 60” width or popular. Coated airbag are generally preferred for
420 X 420 D, 193 X 193 /dm plain weave, 60” driver seats. The weight per unit length uncoated one
width22-25. is higher than coated bags4, i.e. 244 - 257 Vs 175
g/m2. Today, the latest research on potential airbag

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materials includes High tenacity polyester, Nylon 4,

6, etc. apart from Nylon 6, 6. However Nylon 6, 6
has the most superior quality in all8-12.

Air bag fabric has to keep a balance between

two extreme conditions 1-2. It has to be sufficiently
flexible to fold into relatively small volumes. At the
same time it should be sufficiently strong to
withstand the deployment at high speed, e.g. under
the influence of an explosive charge, and the impact
of passengers or other influences when inflated21-25.
To play this role successfully airbag fabric should
possess following quality parameters3, 8, 25:
1. Small fabric thickness. Figure 4: ON/OFF switch of air bag system
2. Low specific fabric weight. The crash sensors are located either in the
3. High tenacity in warp and weft direction as well front of the vehicle and/or in the passenger
as toughness. compartment. Vehicle can have one or more crash
4. High tenacity for furthers tearing. sensors. The sensors are activated by forces
5. High elongation. generated in significant frontal or near-frontal crashes
6. Good resistance to aging. only and not during sudden braking or while driving
7. Heat resistance up to 190 0C. on rough or uneven pavement.
8. Good resistance to UV light. The diagnostic unit monitors the readiness
9. Low and very even air permeability. of the air bag system. The unit is activated when the
10. Reduced cost. vehicle‟s ignition is turned on. If the unit identifies a
11. Precisely controlled gas permeability. problem, a warning light alerts the driver to service
12. Excellent seam integrity. the air bag system before use. Most diagnostic units
13. Reduced value or burn through resistance. contain a device, which stores enough electrical
14. Improved pliability and pack height energy to deploy the air bag if the vehicle battery is
destroyed very early in a crash sequence5-12.
Airbag system Vehicles like pickup trucks do not have rear seats;
The air bag system consists of three basic parts- an have manually operated ON/OFF switches for the
air bag module, crash sensor and a diagnosis unit 1-6. passenger air bags2-3.
Some systems have ON/OFF switch to deactivate air
bag system [figure 4]. The air bag module contains VI. The mode of operation of the airbag
both an inflator unit and the lightweight fabric air system
bag. The driver air bag module is located in the
The first stage of the airbag deployment is
steering wheel hub, and the passenger air bag module
the accident itself. The collision, be it frontal or
is located in the instrument panel. When fully
lateral, activates an array of sensors in the vehicle,
inflated, the driver air bag is approximately the
including accelerometers, impact sensors, side
diameter of a large beach ball. The passenger air bag
pressure sensors, brake pressure sensors, and seat
can be two or three times larger since the distance
occupancy sensors. All these sensors are in intimate
between the right-front passenger and the
connection with the ACU (Airbag Control Unit). The
instrumental panel is much larger than the distance
unit decides if and how to deploy the airbags. When
between the driver and steering wheel1-9. the ACU detects that the deployment threshold has
Table 3: Constructional details of Airbag fabric. been reached, it initiates the inflation stage. As the
Type of airbag Neoprene coated Non- coated Silicone
coated

Yarns Nylon 6,6 Nylon 6,6 Nylon 6,6 Nylon Nylon 6,6
6,6

Denier 840 420 840 420 420

EPI 98 193 32 57 46
PPI 98 793 32 51 46

GSM 280 260 252 238 175

Thickness(mm) 0.38 0.34 0.4 0.35 0.25

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compressed air system would have been impractical utilized with due care and regulation to get best
and quite inefficient, engineers came up with an idea results 12, 16-22.
quite similar to the working principle of the solid An unrestrained or improperly restraint occupant can
rocket booster. Each airbag incorporates a be seriously injured or killed by a deploying air bag.
pyrotechnic device, known as an initiator or electric The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
match, consisting of an electrical conductor cocooned (NHTSA) recommended certain rules for the safety
in combustible material. A current pulse heats up the of occupant and passengers23-26. They are as follows:
conductor, which in turn ignites the combustible 1. Never put a rear-facing infant restraint in the
material. This igniter triggers the chemical reaction front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air
that actually fills the nylon fabric airbag with gas. bag.
The large volume of gas then forces the airbag out of 2. Children 12 and under should be properly
the steering wheel and/or dashboard at a speed of up restrained in a rear seat.
to 200 mph or 322 mph, the whole process taking 3. Driver should sit with at least 10 inches between
about 0.04 seconds. Considering that the blink of an the centre of their breast bone and the steering
eye is approximated at 0.2 seconds, one could say it's wheel.
quite a speedy process 1-10. 4. Always apply seat belt, it retain occupant and
The last stage of the airbag process is the passenger rightly positioned and minimizes risk
deflation, which occurs almost immediately after the of serious injuries.
inflation is completed. The gas escapes through
special vents. They also prevent the occupants from VIII. Conclusion
suffering major impact injuries. Another effect of the The number of persons killed or injured in
deflation is the release of dust-like particles, mostly traffic has dropped continuously since the
cornstarch and talcum powder that are used to development of air bag system. Over the time, the
lubricate the airbag. Small amount of Sodium development of seat belt becomes an indisputable
hydroxide may initially be present. This chemical can matter of course. Today, the 3-point automatic seat
cause minor irritation to the eyes and/or open belt, seat belt tensioner and airbag constitute a
wounds; however, with exposure to air, it quickly carefully matched passenger protection system.
turns into Sodium bicarbonate (common baking Implementation of these safety restraint systems with
soda). Depending on the type of air bag system, due care and regulation can further drop the fatality
potassium chloride (a table salt substitute) may also rate and serious injuries at the time of road accidents.
be present. Initially, the chemicals used in airbags
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