Reduction of Head and Neck Loads in

Side Impacts

FifthTriennial Fire and Cabin Safety Conference

October 30, 2007
Tom Green
tgreen@amsafe.com
Side Facing Aircraft Seats
Agenda
• Side Facing Seat Special Condition
• Test Set Up
• Side Facing Rigid Seat – Middle Position
• Test ATD – ES2
• Test Pulse – 16g and 21g
• Restraint – 3pt Inflatable vs 3pt Core
• Dynamic Impact Test Result
• Head and Neck Response
• Test Video
• Conclusions
Side Facing Seat - Special Condition
Regulation Evolution: Seat Structure
Aircraft Certification Basis:

Pre 1988 (Pre FAR 2x.562) Static

Post 1988 Dynamic (sled) with Test Dummy

Head Injury Criteria (HIC)

Lumbar Spine
Femur

Note: GA shoulder belt requirement is in FAR 23.785 and predates

FAR 23.562.
Side Facing Seats Special Condition
• Side Facing Seats Must Offer “Equivalent
Protection” as Forward Facing
• FAA Issue Paper sets Requirements for
Application
• No Body to Body Contact
• Web Loads
• Injury Criteria - (HIC plus FMVSS 214)
• Research into Injury Evaluation in Process by
CAMI
• New Regulations Pending
Side Facing Seating Positions
ES-2 Instrumentation
Location Description Channels
Head Triax accelerometer pack Ax,Ay,Az

Neck 6-axis upper load cell Fx,Fy,Fz,Mx,My,Mz

6- axis lower load cell Fx,Fy,Fz,Mx,My,Mz

Shoulder Three axis load cell Fx,Fy,Fz

Triax accelerometer pack Ax,Ay,Az
Thorax 3 Rib displacements Dy
3 Rib accelerations Ay
4-axis torso back plate load cell Fx,Fy,My,Mz
T1 Triax accelerometer pack Ax,Ay,Az

Abdomen Four axis T12 load cell Fx,Fy,Mx,My

3 Abdomen load cells Fy
Pelvis 3-axis lower lumbar spine load cell Fy,Fz,Mx
Pubic symphysis load cell Fy
T12 Triax accelerometer pack Ax,Ay,Az

Legs Triax accelerometer pack Ax,Ay,Az

Six axis femur load cell Fx,Fy,Fz,Mx,My,Mz
Current Side Facing Seats
Injury Criteria, FAA Special Conditions

Criteria (50%M Hybrid III SID) Limit

Head Injury Criteria (HIC)
Thoracic Trauma Index (TTI)
Pelvic lateral acceleration
Webbing loads
Body to body contact
Neck Injury
HIC < 1000
TTI < 85 g’s
peak < 130 g’s
Force peak < 1750 lbs
No Injury (subjective)
mentioned (not defined)
Anticipated Injury Criteria – SFS FAA
Criteria (50%M ES2) Limits
HIC36 <1000
Rib Deflection, (mm) 35-44
Lower Spine Resultant (T12), (g) 82
Abdominal Force, Sum Fy (N) 2,400-2,800
Pubic Symphisis, (N) 6,000
Neck Injury, Nij Lateral Coefficients TBD
Body-to-body contact (between the head,
Unacceptable
pelvis, or shoulder area of adjacent ATD)
Shoulder Loads < 7784 N
Occupant Retention (restrain ATD) Within end of seat.
Test Setup
 Test Matrix
Test Seat
Pulse Restraint Type ATD Position Test No.
16g 3pt. Core ES2 Middle H0010
21g 3pt. Core ES2 Middle H0011

16g 3pt. AAIR ES2 Middle H0014

21g 3pt. AAIR ES2 Middle H0013
 Impact Conditions
30
H0010 Core Pulse
Min Delta
25 H0011 Core Pulse Velocity:
H0013 AAIR Pulse
42 ft/sec
20
H0014 AAIR Pulse
(12.8 m/sec)

15
44 ft/sec
G's

(13.4 m/sec)
10

0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20
time, sec
Head and Neck Response
Side Facing Seat Test Environment
Test Pulse (g) 16.2 22.4 16.5 21.4
delta V (ft/sec) 45.0 42.5 44.8 42.3
Restraint Type 3pt. Core 3pt. Core 3pt. AAIR 3pt. AAIR

ES2 ATD Response

HIC 1074 1611 138 239
Nij lateral 1.23 1.19 0.58 0.7
Nij fore/aft 0.47 0.56 0.55 0.56
 Head ES2 Response
Side Facing Divan

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000
HIC

800

600

400

200

3pt. Core 3pt. Core 3pt. AAIR 3pt. AAIR

16g 21g 16g 21g
Head ES2 Response
Side Facing Divan 16g
150
Head Resultant Core H0010
125
Head Resultant AAIR H0014
100
Acceleration, g's

75

50

25

0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20
time, sec
Head ES2 Response
Side Facing Divan 21g
150
Head Resultant Core H0011
125
Head Resultant AAIR H0013
100
Acceleration, g's

75

50

25

0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20
time, sec
 Neck Injury Criteria
Fore/aft Nij
Nij = tension (Fz) + flexion moment (My)
critical tension (Fzc) critical flexion moment (Myc)

Lateral Nij

Nij = tension (Fz) + lateral moment (Mx)

critical tension (Fzc) critical flexion
moment (Mxc)
Neck Injury Criteria
Nij Coefficients
Forward (FMVS 208)
Myc (flexion) 2748 in-lb.
Myc (extension) 1200 in-lb.
Fzc (tension) 1530 lb.
Fzc (compression) 1385 lb.

Lateral (FAA Proposed)

Mxc (left) 530 in-lb.
Mxc (right) 530 in-lb.
Fzc (tension) 1530 lb.
Fzc (compression) 1385 lb.
Neck Injury Potential
H-III Upper Neck Fz Armrest Position
600

500 Fz F0388 AAIR

400 Fz F0386 Std 3-Pt

Neck Load, lbf

300

200

100

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2
Time, S
Neck Injury Potential
H-III Upper Neck Fz Armrest Position
600

500 Fz F0388 AAIR

400 Fz F0386 Std 3-Pt

Neck Load, lbf

300

200

100

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2
Time, S
 Neck Injury Potential
H-III Upper Neck Mx - Armrest Position
2500
Mx F0388 AAIR
2000
Neck Moment, in-lbf

Mx F0386 Std 3-Pt

1500

1000

500

-500
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2
Time, S
Neck Injury Potential
Side Facing Divan 16g Test
1.4

1.2 H0014 AAIR Nij

H0010 Core Nij
1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20
time, sec
Upper Neck ES2 Response
Side Facing Divan

1.40

1.20 Nij lateral

1.00
Nij fore/aft
0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00

3pt. Core 3pt. Core 3pt. AAIR 3pt. AAIR

16g 21g 16g 21g
Images of 16 g Impact Test
21 g Impact Test - Videos
16 g Impact Test - Videos
Conclusions
• Standard 3pnt Restraint Demonstrated a high risk
potential for head and neck injury
• Airbag 3pnt Restraint Demonstrated ability to
mitigate both head and neck injury
• Side Facing configurations can pass the current
and proposed regulatory injury criteria using AAIR
• AAIR demonstrated a step change in reducing
head and neck loading