Federal Aviation Regulations certification criteria for transport aircraft seats require performing dynamic tests using anthropomorphic test dummies. Floor decelerations of the tests are 16g forward with the seat tracks misaligned by up to 10 degrees and 14g downward at a pitch angle of 30 degrees. In this project the dynamic response of the passenger/seat/restraint system is modeled using nonlinear finite element analysis. The interference between a dummy model and the seat is modeled using a contact interaction algorithm. This algorithm did not converge and multiple-point constraints were used to transfer the dummy's inertia load. This approach was validated with the software SOMTA and then used to predict the response of a high energy absorption seat design subjected to the floor deceleration as stated in the FAR. The seat withstood the dynamic loading in both cases. The seat showed poor energy absorption characteristics when subjected to the 14g downward floor deceleration.
","abstract_html":"<p>Federal Aviation Regulations certification criteria for transport aircraft seats require performing dynamic tests using anthropomorphic test dummies. Floor decelerations of the tests are 16g forward with the seat tracks misaligned by up to 10 degrees and 14g downward at a pitch angle of 30 degrees. In this project the dynamic response of the passenger/seat/restraint system is modeled using nonlinear finite element analysis. The interference between a dummy model and the seat is modeled using a contact interaction algorithm. This algorithm did not converge and multiple-point constraints were used to transfer the dummy's inertia load. This approach was validated with the software SOMTA and then used to predict the response of a high energy absorption seat design subjected to the floor deceleration as stated in the FAR. The seat withstood the dynamic loading in both cases. The seat showed poor energy absorption characteristics when subjected to the 14g downward floor deceleration.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fuentes, Javier"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":"Thesis - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["David Kim","Frank Radosta","Howard D. Curtis"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1997,"date_issued":"1997-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1997-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:23Z","subjects":["structural design","crashworthy","aircraft","seats","finite element analysis","Aviation"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/285","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["David Kim","Frank Radosta","Howard D. Curtis"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fuentes, Javier"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["structural design","crashworthy","aircraft","seats","finite element analysis","Aviation"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/285"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Federal Aviation Regulations certification criteria for transport aircraft seats require performing dynamic tests using anthropomorphic test dummies. Floor decelerations of the tests are 16g forward with the seat tracks misaligned by up to 10 degrees and 14g downward at a pitch angle of 30 degrees. In this project the dynamic response of the passenger/seat/restraint system is modeled using nonlinear finite element analysis. The interference between a dummy model and the seat is modeled using a contact interaction algorithm. This algorithm did not converge and multiple-point constraints were used to transfer the dummy's inertia load. This approach was validated with the software SOMTA and then used to predict the response of a high energy absorption seat design subjected to the floor deceleration as stated in the FAR. The seat withstood the dynamic loading in both cases. The seat showed poor energy absorption characteristics when subjected to the 14g downward floor deceleration.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Structural Design of a Crashworthy Energy Absorbing Passenger Seat For a Large Transport Aircraft Using Large Displacement, Nonlinear Material Finite Element Analysis"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["David Kim","Frank Radosta","Howard D. Curtis"],"dc:creator":["Fuentes, Javier"],"dc:description.abstract":["Federal Aviation Regulations certification criteria for transport aircraft seats require performing dynamic tests using anthropomorphic test dummies. Floor decelerations of the tests are 16g forward with the seat tracks misaligned by up to 10 degrees and 14g downward at a pitch angle of 30 degrees. In this project the dynamic response of the passenger/seat/restraint system is modeled using nonlinear finite element analysis. The interference between a dummy model and the seat is modeled using a contact interaction algorithm. This algorithm did not converge and multiple-point constraints were used to transfer the dummy's inertia load. This approach was validated with the software SOMTA and then used to predict the response of a high energy absorption seat design subjected to the floor deceleration as stated in the FAR. The seat withstood the dynamic loading in both cases. The seat showed poor energy absorption characteristics when subjected to the 14g downward floor deceleration.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/285"],"dc:subject":["structural design","crashworthy","aircraft","seats","finite element analysis","Aviation"],"dc:title":["Structural Design of a Crashworthy Energy Absorbing Passenger Seat For a Large Transport Aircraft Using Large Displacement, Nonlinear Material Finite Element Analysis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:23Z"}