Ejection Seat Aviator Windblast Protection Concepts Evaluation UsingComputer Simulation Tools

摘要

Universal Propulsion Co., Inc./BFGoodrich(UPCO/BFG) was awarded the Aircrew StabilizationImprovement Task (ASIT) by the United States AirForce (USAF) per contract number N 00421-99-C-1400. The program objective was investigation ofinflatable technology for improved aircrew memberrestraint within ejection seat systems during thetime period from ejection initiation, through seat-railseparation and up to seat-man separation. TheNorthrop T-38 Talon ejection seat was selected bythe USAF for this program.Computer modeling and simulation wasused to evaluate the effectJveness of the inflatablerestraint systems as windblast protection devices.Further, the intent was to use computer modelingresults as a trend indicator to assist in developingand further optimizing the restraint system design.This effort included creation of the computer modelsfor selected manikins and evaluation of the validityof these models by subjecting them to knownconditions of prevJously conducted ejection sledtests. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysiswas subsequently used to further evaluate thewindblast protection devices.