Response of HYBRID-II and FAA HYBRID-III ATDs on oblique- facing aircraft seats under far test-1 and test-2 dynamic conditions

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in demand for commercial and non-commercial airplanes. In the aviation industry, aircraft seats play a vital role in occupant protection during air crash scenarios, and hence they are given utmost importance in design and efforts are made to customize them. So far, the regulations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) address only the forward-facing seats. However, for oblique-facing aircraft seats, which are typically categorized to be oriented between 18 to 90 degrees, no such regulations exist. The aim of this research is to examine potential injuries to the occupants on oblique-facing seats. To reach the goal, the finite element (FE) modeling and simulations are carried out in both rigid and a typical representative aviation seat, with and without arm-rest. The FAA Hybrid-III and Hybrid-II anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) are utilized for simulations. The dynamic conditions of Test-1 (14-G) and Test-2 (16-G) pulses are applied for both forward-facing and oblique-facing seats in various configurations. Hence, the respective pulses are applied in the longitudinal and lateral directions to the occupants. The simulations are carried out for six various seat configurations and restraint systems. The injuries to the head, neck, torso, and pelvis areas of the occupants are recorded. The responses from the oblique-facing seats are compared with those from the forward-facing seats. The results are also compared with experimental ones from literature, and configurations which better protect the occupants in oblique-facing seats are arrived at. The responses of FAA Hybrid-III and Hybrid-II ATD's are compared. It is observed that for Test-1 condition, the spinal loadings are reduced in oblique seats compared to those for the forward-facing seats. The occupants are exposed to both lateral forces and moments in both Test-1 and Test-2 oblique-facing seat conditions. Out of all the cases, the configuration with 45 degrees seat, arm-rest, body-centered belt is identified to provide best protection to the occupants.