ROME – Opel’s super airbag turns 30. A real revolution that began in 1992 and which still produces its effects today. At the dawn of the 90s, the German company thought to literally double the capacity of a normal airbag, which is 67 liters, to create a device that would later save the lives of thousands of people. After the first experiments, the vitaminized airbag was offered only to the middle-class models and only to the driver’s side, but it was soon extended to the rest of the range and especially to the passenger side.
But how did it work? Everything started from the sensors placed in the central tunnel. “After just 50 thousandths of a second from the moment of impact, the cushion was already fully inflated and, even if the car was traveling at high speed, it prevented the driver from hitting the steering wheel,” explain the Opel engineers.
“The results of the tests, which reached up to 35 crash tests for each model, indicated that the additional protection offered by this airbag was particularly necessary in impacts at high speeds.”
To understand if the airbag was working or not, Opel had also provided a warning light that was activated when the car was started, while numerous endurance tests had confirmed that the new safety device was able to function effectively for over 10 years.
“A microprocessor connected to the sensor was entrusted with the task of deciding if and when the airbag should be activated”, they explain again to the mother house. “The electronic device, which was based on the extent of deceleration, required a time of 10-15 thousandths of a second to determine if we were in the presence of an accident of a certain severity. Similarly, it only took a few fractions of a second longer for the pillow to be inflated ”. The fact is that 5 thousandths of a second after activation, the solid propellant was ignited by the cartridge, releasing nitrogen and causing the cover of the airbag module on the steering wheel to open at the intended breaking point. At this point the pillow came out and began to swell.
After thirty years of honored career, this is how the super airbag invented by Opel still works today, and is included in the entire range of the Rüsselsheim house.