Accelerated development of novel helmet liner materials for improved head protection via topology optimization and digital engineering
Abstract
Approved for Public ReleaseThe helmet and liner are the dominant defense against mechanical insults to the head and resultingtraumat ic brain injuries (TBIs), but current helmets do not directly address protection of the brain.It is crucially important to develop n ext-generation protective helmet liners directed at improvedprevention and mitigation of TBIs.A focus of the PANTHER (physics-based neutralization of threats to human tissues and organs)research team is the development, characterization, and modeling of helmet lin er materials and thetranslation of novel liner materials into promising new helmet designs. This proposal puts forthplans for five p rojects that seek to (1) uncover next-generation, architectured liner materials, (2)expedite the rapid translation of promising line r materials in full-scale helmet designs, and (3)improve and assess liner performance under repetitive impacts.Topology optimization allows designers to explore rich design spaces to arrive at optimalsolutions. Microstructural topology optimization optimizes micro structural geometry to obtaindesired constitutive behavior. In Aim 1, we will use topology optimization to design materialswith arch itectured microstructures that are specifically designed to mitigate the effects of impactsand prevent brain injuries.Gyroid lattice s are a specific type of architectured microstructure that have been shown to exhibitsuperior mechanical properties such as elastic stiffness, strength, and toughness, and propertyanisotropy that can be controlled by design. In Aim 2, we aim to create gyroid latti ces with andwithout additional structural gradients and understand the structure-property relations that governthe deformation, fail ure, and mechanical properties of these materials.Research by the PANTHER team has identified several potential next-generation line r materials(the architectured materials of ated pore structures). Aim 3 will integrate these novel materials intohelmet designs and subject them to physical testing to assess performance. This will be achievedthrough an approach that integrates physical testing with digital engineering using computationalm odeling, thereby accelerating the optimization of material designs for rapid implementation.Currently, combat helmet blunt-impact as sessment is conducted using linearly constrained dropimpacts; however, rotational head motions significantly contribute to damaging strains within thebrain. Aim 4 proposes to expand full helmet assessment by constructing both physical andcomputational realistic fu ll-body fall impact tests to determine whether monorail-guided headand-neck drop tests can accurately replicate real world head im pacts involving full-body falls.The ability of liner materials to maintain their protective performance towards the abatement ofhead injury is affected by their natural exposure to end-use conditions. Aim 5 examines repetitivepre-compression and non-catastrophic i mpacts on both current and next-generation liner materialsto understand the role of loading history on impact performance. This info rmation is imperativefor creating liner materials with robust lifetimes and is necessary to generate predictive digitaltwins with re alistic cradle to grave protective liner approximations.These five aims will strategically advance TBI prevention with high potentia l for rapid commercialtranslation. Moreover, the development of advanced materials for novel helmet liners will enablethe future des ign of multi-functional smart helmets of interest in Naval and DoD applications.Overall, this research will provide a foundation f or the protection of our warfighters and citizens.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 07, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112916
Entities
People
- Christian Franck
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Wisconsin System