Design of Streamlined Motorcycle Helmet with Enhanced Head Protection Raju P. Viswanadha1, Banthia Vinod2, Nassar Abdul3 1M. Sc. [Engg.] Student, Automotive Engineering Centre 2Professor and Head, Department of Automotive Design and Engineering 3Assistant Professor, Centre for Rotating Machinery Design, M.S. Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, 560 054 Online published on 18 February, 2020. Abstract Two-wheeler is one of the common mode of transportation in India. Being inherently unstable the two-wheelers are more prone to accidents, and account for 10, 000 to 15, 000 deaths every year. Head hitting the pavement is the main cause of injury and fatality. Hence, use of crash helmet, which reduces the risk of severe brain injury is generally mandated in most of the major cities. To be effective, these helmets have to meet standard impact performance criteria. The resulting enclosed shell design, makes the use of these helmets in hot and humid weather conditions very uncomfortable. Heat stress causes rider discomfort, increasing chances of rider loosing concentration. Providing better ventilation around the head inside the helmet can alleviate the discomfort felt by the rider. In the present work, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was used to design improved air flow path inside the helmet to enhance the ventilation around rider's head. The routing of the grooves was designed to also reduce the drag created by the flow around the helmet. Impact absorption test, specified by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was simulated for the redesigned helmet. The head deceleration levels were found to be well within the limits specified by the standards. Top Keywords Crash Helmet, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Helmet Impact Test, Helmet Ventilation, Drag Coefficient. Top |