HISTORY

The airbag as known today was invented by John W Hetrick in 1952 and he patented the device in the following year.
Hetrick came up with the idea to help protect his own family using expertise from his naval engineering days.

There have been airbag-like devices for aero planes as early as the 1940s, with the first patents filed in the 1950s.

Early air bag system origins traces back to air filled bladders.

Debates about their safety, especially relating to children, but over time most of the country adopted mandatory seat-
belt laws.
 INTRODUCTION TO AIR BAG
An air bag is an inflatable cushion designed to
protect automobile occupants from serious injury in the case of
a collision.

The air bag is also known as an air cushion restraint system

(ACRS) or an air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS).

This is because the air bag is designed to supplement the

protection offered by seat belts. 
LAWS OF MOTION
Moving objects have momentum, Unless an outside force acts
on an object, the object will continue to move at its present
speed and direction.

Suppose objects inside a car are not restrained, they will

continue moving at speed the car is traveling at, even if the car
is stopped by collision.
BASIC FUNCTION

Detecting when a crash occurs that is essentially based

on deceleration along the longitudinal car axis.

Normal Condition: Deceleration order of 1 g

(acceleration due to gravity).

Collision Condition: Deceleration order of 10’s g

(acceleration due to gravity).

Reaction Time: 30 mille sec. ( to inflate)

CONSTRUCTION

Passenger 1
COMPONENTS INVOLVED

AIRBAG
Airbag is also known as a supplementary restraint system
(SRS). It is made of a thin, nylon fabric, which is folded into
the steering wheel or dashboard or, more recently, the seat or
door.
 SENSOR
Crash Sensors are the devices that work with the control
module to discriminate between crash and non-crash events.

It is the device that tells the bag to inflate. Inflation happens

when there is a collision force equal to running into a brick
wall at 10 to 15 miles per hour (16 to 24 km per hour).
 SENSORS TYPES
By function, there are 2 types.
1)Impact sensors
2)Safing sensors.

The IMPACT SENSORS are located in various locations forward of the

passenger compartment. Some are located inside the fenders, some are on
the cowl, and some are attached to the core support in front of the
radiator.

REAR SENSORS are also known as SAFING SENSORS as their

function is to determine that a crash has occurred. Rear safing sensors are
located in various locations in the passenger compartment depending on
the manufacturer.

In REAR SENSORS When the vehicle is parked with the ignition off
deployment is very unlikely because there is no power to the circuits for
deployment.

This means that someone can hit your car and sound the alarm but not
deploy the airbags.
 INFLATION SYSTEM
In this system, sodium azide (NaN3) with potassium nitrate (KNO3) to
produce nitrogen gas. Hot blasts of the nitrogen inflate the air bag.

Inflator Assembly
This is a diagram of a typical inflator assembly behind the steering wheel.
When the Control Module activates the airbag assembly, an electric current is
sent to the detonator, which ignites the sodium azide pellets. When it burns, it
releases nitrogen gas very quickly and in large quantities. This is what inflates the
airbag.
 SODIUM AZIDE
Sodium Azide is Rocket Fuel

Sodium azide is the fuel of choice for a number of reasons. It

is a solid propellant with a very high gas generation ratio. It is
very stable in this application.

When Sodium azide burns, it's major product is Nitrogen gas,

which makes up around 78% of the Earth's atmosphere. One of
the other by-products is sodium hydroxide. This is commonly
known as Lye, which is a caustic compound. The quantities
produced are very small and present a very small risk of burns.
INFLATOR INNER FIG
 AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT
Below is an illustration of a driver side airbag deployment. The first image is
the airbag inflation, the second depicts your contact with the airbag, and the
third is your coming to rest in the seat.

The speed of the airbag inflating is around 200 MPH*.

 HOW IT WORKS

The sensors turn a switch that energizes a wire, sending electricity

into a heating element in the propellant, causing it to oxidize
rapidly. This chemical reaction produces a gas that quickly fills the
cloth air bag. As the gas expands, it cools considerably, As soon as
the bag fully inflates, it starts deflating, cushioning.
 DRIVER'S AIRBAG AND POSSIBILITY OF
AIR BAGS IN THE AUTOMOBILE

Driver Air Bag Door Air Bag

 SAFETY CONCERNS

It is recommended to sit at least 10 inches away from air

bag.
Children under 12 year should sit in a age appropriate
car seat .
Driver should not place his /her hand across air bag
inside the steering wheel.
Passengers with health problems should preferably sit
on rear sit.
ADVANTAGES OF AIRBAGS
Air bags have been modified and created for injury
reduction.
Insurance offers low cost insurances for air bags
protection.
Air bag has been designed safely which offer
convenience and full comfort to a passenger.
Using the airbag is simple and this process is fast and
most compatible one for any problematic issue.
Belt fixing makes air-flying trip little more comfortable
and it will safely leave the passenger to the surface.
DISADVANTAGES OF AIRBAGS
Airbags are very effective but it also has some injury risks.
Sometimes it could lead to a fatal injury because it is like a
belted or unbelted automatic flying vehicle which will fly you
without any destination direction.
Passengers and driver side airbag will not help the occupant
during side Collision .
Resetting your deployed air bags is not possible and you can
re-position your airbag once it is deployed.
Airbag’s are not protect during series of repeated impact.
 FUTURE OF AIR BAGS
Statistics says
Airbags are an effective secondary safety measure that reduces
the risk of injury for vehicle occupants, in more severe
collisions. Side-impact air bags (SABs) are inflatable devices
that are designed to help protect your head and/or chest in the
event of a serious crash involving the side of your vehicle.

40 percent of all serious injuries from accidents are the result

of side impacts, and 30 percent of all accidents are side-impact
collisions.

Science of air bags is still new and under rapid development.

 CONCLUSION
Airbags are an effective secondary safety measure that reduces
the risk of injury for vehicle occupants, in more severe
collisions.
Air bags supplement the safety belt by reducing the chance
that the occupant's head and upper body will strike some part
of the vehicle's interior.
They also help reduce the risk of serious injury by distributing
crash forces more evenly across the occupant's body.
Airbags will be the effective life saving devices, if they are
used in conjunction with - but not in place of - seat belts.
THANK YOU