Design guidelines of side airbag for improved biomechanical values

The principal scope of this master thesis is to investigate some design guidelines to apply for available side airbag (SAB), aiming at improving its performance during a side impact crash, in particular a pole crash that is greatly severe due to a punctual high impact force against car. The main biomechanical parameters that have been considered are the force loading on shoulder (shoulder force), and the deflection imposed on thorax ribs during the intrusion of the panel, mostly the first rib (top rib compression). According to norm ECE R-135 these values must not be over 3 kN, for shoulder force, and 55 mm for top rib compression. This investigation involved firstly the study on dimension and shape of the available SABs, leading to design guidelines that highlighted the differences between electrical and conventional cars. Later have been also considered the simulations of projects in charge to company ITALDESIGN, discovering other guidelines basing on other parameters of SAB beyond the shape. The results represent the base for further investigation that require deeper analysis.