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Dynamic PIV measurement of a high-speed flow issuing from vent-holes of a curtain-type airbag

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Abstract

A curtain-type airbag is a safety device designed to protect passengers from the side collisions of a car. The curtain-type airbag system consists of an inflator, a fill-hose, and a curtain-airbag. The fill-hose is a passageway and distributor of the exploded gases from the inflator to the airbag through vent-holes. Although the design of vent-holes is important for proper deployment of the airbag, it is very difficult to measure the exceedingly high speed flow issuing from the vent-holes by using conventional measurement methods. In this study, we employed a dynamic PIV technique to measure the temporal evolution of instantaneous velocity fields of the flow ejecting from the vent-holes. From the velocity field data measured at a frame rate of 2000 fps, the temporal variation of the volume flux from vent-holes was also evaluated for the diagnosis of airbag performance. The flows ejecting from the vent-holes showed high velocity fluctuations, and the maximum velocity was about 480 m/s. The instantaneous velocity fields in the initial stage showed a swaying motion of a high-speed jet. The accumulated volume flux from the vent-holes was also compared at each vent-hole region.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 790-784, Pohang, Korea

    Lee S. J., Jang Y. G. & Choi Y. S.

  2. Applied Technology Research Department, Hyundai MOBIS, 80-10, Mabook-Ri, Guseong-Eup, 449-910, Yongin-shi, Gyunggi-Do, Korea

    Ha W. P.

Authors
  1. Lee S. J.
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  2. Jang Y. G.
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  3. Choi Y. S.
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  4. Ha W. P.
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Additional information

Sang Joon Lee: He received his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST in 1982 and 1986, respectively. In 1986, he worked as a senior researcher at KIMM. He is currently a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at POSTECH, which he has been with since 1987. His research interests are quantitative flow visualization (PIV, PTV, LIF, Holography, X-ray imaging), experimental fluid mechanics, bluff body aerodynamics, microfluidics and bio-fluid flows.

Young Gil Jang: He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc degree in Mechanical Engineering from POSTECH in 2002 and 2004, respectively. He has been studying at EFCBL (Experimental Flow Control and Bio-fluid Laboratory) since 2002. His current research fields are drag reduction by a plasma surface treatment and measurements by using a Stereo-PTV technique.

Yong Seok Choi: He received his B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from POTECH in 2005. He has been studying at EFCBL as a student of the Master and Ph.D. joint course since 2005. His current research interests are measurements of vortical structures in turbulent boundary layer, drag reduction of turbulent flows and 3D flow field measurement by using a holographic-PTV technique.

Won Pil Ha: He received his M.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 1994. After having worked in Hyundai Motor Company as a crash and structure simulation engineer, he currently works in Applied Technology Research Team of Hyundai MOBIS Technical Research Center as an occupant safety simulation engineer. His research interest is numerical simulation of airbag with gas flow applied to passenger side airbag and curtain airbag.

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Lee, S.J., Jang, Y.G., Choi, Y.S. et al. Dynamic PIV measurement of a high-speed flow issuing from vent-holes of a curtain-type airbag. J Vis 11, 239–246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03181712

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03181712

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