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In Situ Strain Measurements Within Helmet Padding During Linear Impact Testing

  • S.I. : Concussions
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Abstract

Drop and Impact testing of helmets are used extensively in the design process and eventual certification of helmets. These techniques have traditionally relied heavily on the measurement of the kinematic response to impact, which provides an indirect measurement of the liner response that is subject to interpretation during the design process. In the present work, we introduce an in situ experimental technique that provides a time-resolved measurement of the deformation of the helmet and its components during an impact event. The data collected from a high-speed X-ray imaging system can provide a full description of the deformation at the component level, which provides a helmet designer further insight into the performance of their helmet, while also returning the traditional kinematic metrics. The data presented focuses on the deformation of a commercial hockey helmet subjected to a series of linear impacts with three different impactor caps at speeds ranging from 2.4 to 4.5 m/s. Deformation of the liner was monitored in the midsagittal and a parasagittal plane of the helmet. The results show that there is a clear dependence on the maximum strain achieved in the foam that is dependent on the impact type, the impactor shape, and the resulting strain rate of deformation in the foam liner. These techniques can provide the first data for a direct validation and calibration of finite element helmet deformation models, while also providing a new tool-set to improve the efficacy of helmet design.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Evangelos Spyrou of Sport Maska Inc. for useful discussions. The authors acknowledge useful input from Mary-Jo Weir Weiss and Scott Dutrisac in designing the marker insertion protocol. This work was funded through the MITACS Accelerate program (IT15996). The cineradiography system was funded through Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Research Fund (Project 32933).

Conflict of interest

Oren Petel, Sheng Xu, and MacKenzie Brannen hold a patent relating to certain aspects of this work. Ryan Brownridge works for Sport Maska Inc. which sells helmets under the CCM Hockey brand name. Simon Ouellet declares no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Sheng Xu, MacKenzie Brannen & Oren E. Petel

  2. Defence Research and Development Canada Valcartier, 2459 Route de la Bravoure, Québec, QC, G3J 1X5, Canada

    Simon Ouellet

  3. Sport Maska Inc., 3400 Rue Raymond-Lasnier, Saint-Laurent, QC, H4R 3L3, Canada

    Ryan Brownridge

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  1. Sheng Xu
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Correspondence to Oren E. Petel.

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Xu, S., Brannen, M., Ouellet, S. et al. In Situ Strain Measurements Within Helmet Padding During Linear Impact Testing. Ann Biomed Eng 50, 1689–1700 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-022-03071-3

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