Investigation of car occupants submarining in frontal impacts
Submarining occurs in frontal crashes when the lap belt slides over the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and is the principal cause of AIS 3+ abdominal injuries. Submarining is the consequence of the pelvis kinematics relative to the lap belt, driven by the equilibrium of forces and moments applied to the pelvis. The four main components playing a role in the pelvis kinematics are the lumbar spine, the hips, the seat pan and the lap belt. The purpose is to characterize the population behavior regarding submarining. This requires to identify individual parameters having an effect on submarining and to examine their distribution among the population. A nine post-mortem human subject (PMHS) sled test campaign was carried out on a simplified environment. Three test configurations were defined. Each configuration was realized on three PMHS. The test results were used as reference data for a human finite element model validation. The model was improved to better fit the PMHS corridor responses and then personalized regarding the geometry, the mass distribution and the lumbar spine behavior to obtain nine models matching each PMHS. The personalized models responses were consistent with the PMHS ones. Finally, the human model was used in a numerical study. The numerical study was aimed at deepen the understanding of the pelvis kinematics on the one hand, and investigate the influence of several individual parameters on submarining on the other hand. The mass distribution, the lumbar spine stiffness and the initial pelvis orientation have revealed an influence on the submarining observation. The iliac wing angle, the position of the ASIS relative to the H-point, the iliac notch depth and the thickness of the soft tissues between the pelvis and the lap belt were also identified to have an effect on submarining.