An Experiment-Based Model of Fabric Heat Transfer and Its Inclusion in Air Bag Deployment Simulations

A numerical model is presented that is capable of isolating and quantifying the heat flux from the gas within an air bag to the air bag fabric due to internal surface convection during the inflator discharge period of an air bag deployment. The model is also capable of predicting the volume averaged fabric temperatures during the air bag deployment period. Implementation of the model into the Inflator Simulation Program is presented along with the simulation results for typical inflators. The predicted effect of the heat loss from the bag gas to the fabric on the internal bag gas temperature and pressure and the resulting bulk fabric temperature as a function of fabric parameters and the inflator exit gas properties are presented for both permeable and impermeable air bag fabrics.