Numerical Simulation of Helicopter Pilot Seat under Crash Impact

In this article, to investigate the severity of damage to the helicopter pilot under the crash impact, the numerical simulation of the actual helicopter cockpit seat has been done. To limit the complexity of the problem, a fully vertical impact was considered as a reference scenario for the assembly consisting of a collapsible helicopter seat, an energy absorption section, and a humanoid dummy. For this purpose, the three-dimensional model of the chair in the laboratory was studied in two states with and without the addition of the energy absorption mechanism. A honeycomb structure was used in the seat cushion section. The results of the research showed that the use of UPVC damper to test the crash impact with a certain mass based on biomechanical criteria, an average 80 % decrease in serious injuries to the skull and spine has been achieved. Also, based on the results obtained in this research, although the aluminum honeycomb structure meets the criterion of damage to the head and is within the permissible range, it has rejected the criteria of damage to the spine and permissible acceleration range. However, compared to the case without honeycomb, it has performed much better and has been able to absorb the energy of the crash impact.