Conceptual design and evaluation of a novel bilateral pretension seatbelt: a computational study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to design a novel, high-efficiency and low-cost Bilateral Pretensioner (BLP) and evaluate it using a computational approach, i.e. coupling of FEA and multibody dynamics. The BLP system was designed by changing the rotation axle of the conventional retractor. The computational models for BLP, and the other two designs, namely Double Pretension (DP) and Buckle Pretention (BP) were further constructed based on a validated restraint system model to study their pretension characteristics and injury prevention capabilities. Then a range analysis design was conducted on the newly developed BLP system to identify the optimal values of four design parameters and analyze the sensitivity of injury responses to these parameters. The results show that the BLP system would have a higher pretension efficiency and injury prevention capability than the traditional BP system. Although the DP system could retract more webbing, BLP is superior due to its slightly higher injury pretension capability and lower cost of a single pretensioner. The range analysis of BLP system suggests the optimal parametric values and the sensitivity of responses to these parameters.