HOW AIRBAGS WORK?

 

AIRBAGS

Airbags are considered to be one of the most needed specs in the car now a days. Almost every automobile organization offers this basic facility in new cars with various designs and models which makes the users’ experience more pleasureful.

 

WHEN WAS AIRBAGS INVENTED?

The history tells us that the research on airbags had been started in early 1950’s but the airbags of that time were not very much effective and couldn’t be inflated that much faster as of today’s airbags. However, it is said that FORD Motors introduced the fleet of cars with the airbags in 1950’s. It was then followed by General Motors in 1970’s offering the airbag options for driver and passenger.

Interestingly, this service was discontinued later on due to lack of interest of the users. It is seen that after early 1990’s, almost every big auto manufacturer started offering this facility in all new passenger vehicles.

WHAT IS AIRBAG MADE UP OF?

Airbags are usually made up of thin, woven nylon fabric and placed hiddenly under seats, doors, steering wheel. Airbags are part of a system known as Inflatable restraint system (I.R.S.)

HOW MANY TYPES OF AIRBAGS?

Primarily, four types of airbags are available in the market.

i.                     Frontal Airbags

ii.                   Side Airbags

iii.                 Knee Airbags

iv.                 Inflatable seatbelt or Rear Curtain

FRONTAL AIRBAGS

These airbags are designed to protect the driver and front-seat passenger. It is installed in the steering wheel; however, the passenger’s airbag is placed in the dashboard. They keep a person’s chest, neck and head from coming into contact with hard surfaces.

 

REAR AIRBAGS

Rear airbags protect the passengers in the back seat. The rear-window airbags prevent from crashing into the back window while the rear-center airbag keeps passengers from bumping into another.

  

SIDE AIRBAGS

These airbags are usually placed in the seats and doors in order to protect the person from smashing his body on the door to prevent injuries in the abdominal and pelvic areas.

 

 KNEE AIRBAGS

Knee airbags not only reduces the injuries but also reduces the risk of breaking bones of lower area.

 

 

HOW AIRBAGS WORK?

The duration of collision of the passenger’s head with the windscreen or the dashboard is around 0.05 seconds. So, it was researched and tested that the airbags should be operational before 0.05 seconds. A typical airbag opens with the speed of 300 to 400 km/h in less than 0.04 seconds with the help of accelerometers. Accelerometers keeps on monitoring the change in speed of the car. It consists of a well-designed and sophisticated circuit inside it which gets activated whenever the car hits any object.

 

 

The interesting part comes here when the car hits any object, accelerometer detects it and makes the circuit complete which causes a controlled EXPLOSION in order to inflate the airbags with Sodium Azide. Nitrogen gas is released at the time of explosion which excludes Sodium. A small portion of Sodium Azide is enough to produce up to 70 liters of Nitrogen. Modern cars are using “GUANIDINE NITRATE” in the airbag technology instead of Sodium Azide.