Term Papers on Airbags

Term Paper Title	Airbags
# of Words	2293
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	9.17

Airbags

Research of smart airbags produced surprising results. The expected new designs using innovative technology for solutions to the serious problems with airbags were virtually non-existent. Articles contained reports of the dangers and injuries caused by airbags. Most articles agree that the need to develop a smart airbag is clear. The method of collision detection recognition of crash severity needs improvement. Information provided by most sites alluded to or outlined aggressive efforts to design methods of sensing potential danger and subsequently disarming or depowering the airbag. This trend for improvement causes a debate over the necessity, value and/or risk of having airbags at all. Some articles expressed personal opinions over these issues. Only one site found outlined an option that did not require disarming airbags, 'smart skin' sensors. Most 'smart' airbags are being designed to simply not inflate when there is danger potential. The issue of toxins released by current airbags was mentioned, but no solutions were offered for this problem. One wonders whether this system should be further developed, or airbags should be abandoned as a safety device.

Air bags are an extensively used occupant safety feature in vehicles. Unfortunately, reports of air bags causing injuries have become common. The need to develop a "smart air bag" is clear. These smart air bags will have to address the problems faced by today's bags. Better impact detecting systems, deployment control, and environmental conscience will be necessary for improvement. Some proposals for enhancement of this safety feature have been suggested. These proposals do not address all the problems caused by current air bag use. There is still much research and development required to produce the desired smart air bag.
Introduction
Air bags have been designed to be used in conjunction with seat belts to reduce car accident injury. They are intended to protect the face and head in high-speed collisions when a seat belt may not provide sufficient restraint. Air bags have been designed to deploy in frontal impacts, but a seat belt is the only protection in other types of crashes. (Jost, October 1996, p.68).
Air bags have become a topic for debate as evidence has been reported of their hazards. They have been mandated for use in the U.S. on all "...cars, vans and light trucks by 1998." (Silverberg and Ondrey, 1996, p.43). The air bag debate is of interest to Canadians, since "Canadians get the same vehicles with the same safety equipment as the USA - whether they want it or not." (O'Donnell, 1997). The current design of inflation triggers has caused debate since reports of injuries and deaths due to the deployment of air bags have surfaced. Engineers are working diligently to design "smart air bags" that will eliminate the dangers faced when using the current air bag design.
How Do Air Bags Work?
Each air bag is equipped with "...two sets of crash sensors that detect deceleration." (Silverberg and Ondrey, 1996, p.43). Impact sensors are either mechanical, detecting deceleration by a mass shift, or electrical, using an accelerometer (Resh, 1996, p.116). Both sensors must agree that a rapid deceleration is detected to reduce the risk of unnecessary deployment. Once "impact" deceleration is confirmed by both sensors, "...a firing circuit sends a current to a gas generator. This current then activates an initiator device..." (Silverberg and Ondrey, 1996, p.43) "...that ignites solid grains of sodium azide along with an oxidant. These materials burn inside [a] metal canister, producing solid particles of sodium oxide...and a sudden pulse of hot nitrogen gas." (Resh, 1996, p.116). The air bag is inflated rapidly by this nitrogen gas.
What are the Problems?
There are increasing concerns over the safety of air bag use. These range from death caused by close proximity to the bag as it is opening to environmental impacts of air bag disposal. The first concern of engineers is the safety of the car occupants. In November 1996, the National Highway Traff...

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