(Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, 2022) Yurchenko, N.F.; Vynogradskyy, P.M.
Design modifications are tested experimentally of the compact supersonic ejector developed for the novel airbag inflation system. The base design resulting from combined numerical and experimental investigations showed itself potentially capable of inflating the 50 L airbag with three parts of entrained air volume together with one part produced by a gas generator. The base design work continues to study its technological flexibility and operational reliability by analyzing a complex flow structure within the inflator.
For that, minor changes and supplements to the design were evaluated experimentally to avoid complicated numerical simulations. In particular, it was supposed that a vortex formed at the inflator inlet could significantly reduce its operational cross-section. The impact of this vortex on the airbag filling was investigated in the Laboratory for Advanced Aerodynamics using the developed pneumatic facility. The applied design improvement was found to affect the pressure distribution favorably in the inflator that increased the airbag filling by ~5%.