A Finite Element Investigation into the Impact Performance of an Open-Face Motorcycle Helmet with Ventilation Slots

De-Shin Liu,Yao-Te Chen

doi:10.3390/app7030279

Abstract

Motorcycle helmets are essential for reducing the risk of head injuries in the event of an impact. However, during the design of helmets, a compromise must be made between user safety and user comfort. Accordingly, the present study proposes a novel open-face helmet design, in which the helmet features three ventilation slots in the upper-head region. Finite element analysis (FEA) models were constructed for both a prototype helmet design, and three traditional helmet designs (full-face, open-face, and half-face helmets). In simulating the proposed open-face helmet, this study considered three different ventilation slot widths, namely 8, 14, and 18 mm. The simulation results showed that of all the helmet designs, the half-face helmet resulted in the greatest headform acceleration (303 G). The internal ventilation helmet achieved a lower peak acceleration than that of the full-face helmet. By contrast, the proposed open-face helmet with ventilation slots resulted in the lowest acceleration, irrespective of the ventilation slot width. The 8-mm ventilation slot width resulted in the optimal impact performance level (i.e., a peak headform acceleration of 160 G). Overall, the results suggest that the proposed open-face helmet design with ventilation slots provides a promising solution for ensuring both user protection and user comfort in warm climates.

Highlights

Comfort is a decisive factor for motorcycle riders when selecting a helmet for use in warm climates [1,2]
The 8-mm ventilation slot width resulted in the optimal impact performance level
The present study evaluated the performance of the four helmets (i.e., full-face, open-face, halfThepresent presentstudy study evaluated performance of four the four helmets (i.e., full-face, open-face, The evaluated thethe performance of the helmets with regards to three different standards, namely ECE R22.05, half-face, and open-face with ventilation) with regards three different standards, namely face, and open-face with ventilation) with regards to threeto different standards, namely ECE

Summary

Introduction

Comfort is a decisive factor for motorcycle riders when selecting a helmet for use in warm climates [1,2]. When designing helmets for motorcycle use, it is imperative that a compromise is reached between user safety and user comfort. South East (SE) Asia provides an ideal location for studying the efficacy of helmets, since motorcycles and scooters represent the most common form of transportation [5]. Various helmet designs are available, including full-face, open-face, and half-face models. The choice of helmet depends on the particular preferences of the user, regarding comfort and safety. Of the two types of helmet, open-face helmets provide a better user safety level, but at the expense of comfort. It is necessary to improve the ventilation efficiency of open-face helmets, without sacrificing their impact performance

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion