Research Areas
Every year, significant numbers of Europeans, experience fatal injuries or are admitted to hospital as a result of injuries received on the road, or in rail, aircraft and ship accidents. The cost to the European Union is estimated at over €10 billion per annum (~ £6.7 billion/year).
Yet many of these injuries are preventable by employing scientific approaches that allow the development of practical deterrent programmes. The approaches used by BAARG are hybrid type that engage the use of experimental testing with computer simulation models. As a result early understanding of the main variables affecting design for good crash performance are isolated. These variables, existing in the computer models, are thereafter refined through the vehicle model development cycle. The whole process of employing experimental data and computer modelling enables BAARG to achieve more reliable predictions and greater efficiency as validation of results is paramount for that extra confidence.
The work of BAARG is based around the following research areas:
Car Safety
1. ROLLOVER
BAARG is probably the only institution in Europe that has contributed enormously to the understanding of rollover crashes outside the United States.
Researchers from BAARG have helped motor manufacturers around the world design better vehicle roofs with high strength and adequate stiffness. Our contributions have influenced rollover legislation, have improved test methodologies, have reduced auto manufacturers' litigation cost, and have overall reduced the societal cost associated with injuries to occupants.
BAARG chief expert, Distinguished Professor of Crashworthiness Clive Chirwa, working together with Mrs Paula Lawlor the founder of the "People safe In Rollover Foundation of USA" (http://www.peoplesafeinrollovers.org||) presented documentary analysis of the American fatality figures attributed to rollover crashes to the Members of the Senate at Washington DC Capitol Hill. That keynote presentation by Professor Clive Chirwa convinced the majority of the Senate to look into the formulation of the new regulation and hence the birth of the updated FMVSS 216 to be effective from 2012. This new standard has not gone far enough as requested. But we wait to see how it will perform and if the updated loading conditions and angles of incidences will result in reduced roof intrusions.
BAARG continues to work in this area, especially as new electric cars for the future need to be studied in terms of their rollover kinematics and beyond. We welcome manufacturers, those seeking expert witness advice and those who want to know more about transfer of technology in rollover.
2. FRONTAL IMPACT
BAARG is still working in this area, while many think everything has been done in this crash scenario. To some extent yes, but we still need to do more as the propulsion system of the future is changing and need for re-visiting current design concepts become imminent and live again.
BAARG continues developing new technologies in passive safety for frontal impact and has moved into integrated safety to take advantage of the active systems.
3. SIDE IMPACT
BAARG'S contribution to solving the side impact crash scenario problems has span over a decade. From the early years of looking at the side structure padding systems, through SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) to side curtains and torso airbag protection systems.
BAARG continues to work in this area since there are many cars that still do not meet the pole test rating system.
4. REAR IMPACT
BAARG first started working in rear impacts well before the research group was formed in 1992. It all began from the project from FORD that was looking into developing a complete new load bearing structure in the rear of its vehicles in order to solve the whiplash syndrome that has become a problem. Until today, the whiplash injury has never been solved and hence the societal cost associated with this crash scenario has escalated to astronomical figures in the developed world.
BAARG is still working in this area as it tries to understand what is whiplash.
5. VULNERABLE ROAD USERS (VRU)
BAARG'S expertise lie in pedestrian-commercial vehicle interaction.
Railway Safety
1. COACH DESIGN
BAARG has over the years contributed to coach/wagon design for crashworthiness. The group's unique designs are in superstructure rollover protection system, lifeguard derailment energy absorbing unit, frontal crash anti-override buffers, and an energy absorbing inverbucktube for excess cushioning of load.
BAARG, for its pioneering work in railway technology, has been awarded:
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The British Rail Award (Crashworthiness in Rail Vehicles);
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The Institution of Mechanical Engineers Holman Brothers Safety Award In Mechanical Engineering for the Best Research work and Paper Published on Aspects of Eliminating Danger to Health; and
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The Institution of Mechanical Engineers T A Stewart-Dyer/Frederick Harvey Trevithick Award In Mechanical Engineering for the Best Research work and Paper Published in the Railway Division.
2. SAFE INTERIOR
BAARG is currently one of the partners in a European consortium working on occupant protection in railway vehicles. BAARG'S contributions are in studying wheelchair occupant behaviour under crash conditions.
Aircraft Safety
1. FUSELAGE
BAARG has worked on the development of the AIRBUS 300 series fuselage.
2. WING
BAARG's contribution to the wing design is the bird strike study that ascertained the collapse mechanism.
3. LANDING GEAR
BAARG developed over a decade ago an energy absorbing system known as the inverbucktube that is used in many landing gears to cushion the landing loads.