Failure Mode Investigation and Ballistic Performance Characterization of Pyrotechnic Initiators Used in Automotive Supplemental Restraint Inflation Systems

摘要

The first goal of this project was to establish a radioisotope leak detection laboratory. Development of this laboratory provides the University of Idaho with unique capabilities among North American universities to allow quantification of fine leak rates (less than 1 x 10 (sup 7) atm cc/s) from small cavity devices such as bridge wire initiators, microelectronic components, and micro-electro-mechanical machines. The second objective was to design, manufacture, and fabricate a population of small cavity specimens for use in leak rate studies. The third objective was to subject these specimens to a dilute mixture of 85 (sup 85) Kr and air to record the subsequent rate of decay of isotope content within the components. The observed flow rate of gas emanating from the specimens was compared to that predicted by accepted flow models. The laboratory is complete and fully operational. Fabrication of the small cavity specimens featuring orifice diameters from 1 (micro) to 100 (micro) is also complete, and initial tests are underway to determine the magnitude and duration of scintillation signal as a function of internal pressure, cavity volume and orifice diameter. Analyses of initial results indicate that experimentally-derived flow rates are often comparable to those predicted by viscous flow theory.