The development of a 3D-Navier–Stokes code for the simulation of an airbag inflation

The aim of this work is to develop a stable and fast algorithm for simulation of an airbag deployment. The mechanical structure problem is solved with commercially available finite element software. A 3D Navier–Stokes code for compressible fluids is developed to solve the fluid mechanic problem. For reasons of stability, a fixed rectangular grid is used. The contour adjustment is achieved by blocking off the outer cells, which can be switched on or off as the airbag surface passes by. To provide a conservative system during the contour adjustment, a method for the handling of the boundary was developed.