Design of ventilated helmets: computational fluid and impact dynamics studies

Abstract The existing motorcycle helmets are thermally uncomfortable as there is no provision for air flow inside the helmet. A new design of helmet, with grooves in the liner foam and slot in the outer shell and liner foam to improve the ventilation, is proposed. Computational fluid dynamics studies show considerable improvement in air velocities inside the helmet in the presence of grooves and slot. Impact dynamics and biomechanics studies on various motorcycle helmets with deformable and rigid head show that the proposed design meets the requirements of the standards in the drop test. The optimum size of the groove and number of grooves for a motorcycle helmet are decided on the basis of the above studies.

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