Operational Effects on Crashworthy Seat Attenuators

Abstract

Energy absorbers were removed from crashworthy crew and troop seats aboard UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters which had been in service for up to nine years. The fielded energy absorbers were tested both statistically and dynamically and the load-deflection characteristics were compared to new energy absorbers to determine the operational effects. There were three energy absorber types tested: inversion tube, rolling torus, and wire bender. Seat systems with energy types absorbers not meeting the manufacturer's specified load-deflection characteristics were modeled by computer simulation to determine the change in injury potential in a vertical crash scenario. In general, the inversion tube and rolling torus energy absorbers' performance did not change as compared to new attenuators. The wire benders, however, had a failure rate of 48 percent which appeared to be fatigue related. Energy absorber; Crashworthy crewseat; Crashworthy troop seat; Helicopters; Attenuator; Inversion tube; UH-60A Black hawk; Rolling torus; Wire bender; SOM-LA; Operational effects; Environmental effects; Injury evaluation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA221148

Entities

People

  • Marvin K. Richards

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Seats
  • Aircrafts
  • Computer Simulations
  • Data Analysis
  • Dynamic Response
  • Dynamic Tests
  • Ejection Seats
  • Energy Absorbers
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Flight Crews
  • Governments
  • Helicopters
  • Pilots
  • Standards
  • Static Tests
  • Task Forces
  • Test And Evaluation

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.