Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring
This study explores the integration of a custom-designed pneumatic spring into a car-seat cushion and its interaction with a simplified human body model using the Finite Element Method (FEM). A 3D half-symmetry FEM framework, developed from experimental data, ensured computational efficiency and con...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Xuan-Tien Tran Van-Ha Nguyen Duc-Toan Nguyen |
| author_facet | Xuan-Tien Tran Van-Ha Nguyen Duc-Toan Nguyen |
| author_sort | Xuan-Tien Tran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the integration of a custom-designed pneumatic spring into a car-seat cushion and its interaction with a simplified human body model using the Finite Element Method (FEM). A 3D half-symmetry FEM framework, developed from experimental data, ensured computational efficiency and convergence. This research bridged experimental and numerical approaches by analyzing the contact pressure distributions between a seat cushion and a volunteer with representative biometric characteristics. The model incorporated two material groups: (1) human body components (bones and muscles) and (2) seat cushion materials (polyurethane foam, latex, and fabric tape). Mechanical properties were obtained from both the literature and experiments, and simulations were conducted using MSC.Marc software under realistic boundary and initial conditions. The simulation results exhibited strong agreement with experimental data, validating the model’s reliability in predicting contact pressure distribution and optimizing seat cushion designs. Contrary to the conventional notion that uniformly distributed contact pressure inherently enhances comfort, this study emphasizes that the precise localization of pressure plays a crucial role in static and long-term seating ergonomics. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrated that modulating the pneumatic spring’s internal pressure from 0 kPa to 25 kPa altered peak contact pressure by approximately 3.5 kPa (around 20%), significantly influencing pressure redistribution and mitigating high-pressure zones. By validating this FEM-based approach, this study reduces dependence on physical prototyping, lowering design costs, and accelerating the development of ergonomically optimized seating solutions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of human–seat interactions, offering a foundation for next-generation automotive seating innovations that enhance comfort, fatigue reduction, and adaptive pressure control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-855d18157ed242ccb2b1c0c51e8e8f6e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-855d18157ed242ccb2b1c0c51e8e8f6e2025-08-20T02:52:35ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-03-01155268710.3390/app15052687Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic SpringXuan-Tien Tran0Van-Ha Nguyen1Duc-Toan Nguyen2Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Hungyen University of Technology and Education, Hungyen 160000, VietnamFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Hungyen University of Technology and Education, Hungyen 160000, VietnamSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 1A-Dai Co Viet Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi City 100000, VietnamThis study explores the integration of a custom-designed pneumatic spring into a car-seat cushion and its interaction with a simplified human body model using the Finite Element Method (FEM). A 3D half-symmetry FEM framework, developed from experimental data, ensured computational efficiency and convergence. This research bridged experimental and numerical approaches by analyzing the contact pressure distributions between a seat cushion and a volunteer with representative biometric characteristics. The model incorporated two material groups: (1) human body components (bones and muscles) and (2) seat cushion materials (polyurethane foam, latex, and fabric tape). Mechanical properties were obtained from both the literature and experiments, and simulations were conducted using MSC.Marc software under realistic boundary and initial conditions. The simulation results exhibited strong agreement with experimental data, validating the model’s reliability in predicting contact pressure distribution and optimizing seat cushion designs. Contrary to the conventional notion that uniformly distributed contact pressure inherently enhances comfort, this study emphasizes that the precise localization of pressure plays a crucial role in static and long-term seating ergonomics. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrated that modulating the pneumatic spring’s internal pressure from 0 kPa to 25 kPa altered peak contact pressure by approximately 3.5 kPa (around 20%), significantly influencing pressure redistribution and mitigating high-pressure zones. By validating this FEM-based approach, this study reduces dependence on physical prototyping, lowering design costs, and accelerating the development of ergonomically optimized seating solutions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of human–seat interactions, offering a foundation for next-generation automotive seating innovations that enhance comfort, fatigue reduction, and adaptive pressure control.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2687pneumatic springcontact pressure distributionfinite element method (FEM)human–seat interactionergonomic automotive seating |
| spellingShingle | Xuan-Tien Tran Van-Ha Nguyen Duc-Toan Nguyen Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring Applied Sciences pneumatic spring contact pressure distribution finite element method (FEM) human–seat interaction ergonomic automotive seating |
| title | Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring |
| title_full | Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring |
| title_fullStr | Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring |
| title_short | Finite Element Analysis of the Contact Pressure for Human–Seat Interaction with an Inserted Pneumatic Spring |
| title_sort | finite element analysis of the contact pressure for human seat interaction with an inserted pneumatic spring |
| topic | pneumatic spring contact pressure distribution finite element method (FEM) human–seat interaction ergonomic automotive seating |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2687 |
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