Design, Build, and Test a Hybrid Cooling System for Crash Helmet

• Published in: Experimental techniques (Westport, Conn.) Conn.), 2019-10, Vol.43 (5), p.613-633
• Main Authors: Ebaid, M.S.Y., Shehadeh, B.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cooling; Cooling systems; Heat; Heat sinks; Helmets; Hybrid systems; Infrared cameras; Materials Science; Overheating; Phase change materials; Predictions; Product design; Recording
• ISSN: 0732-8818; 1747-1567
• DOI: 10.1007/s40799-019-00319-x

In this current work, a designed hybrid cooling system is proposed which combines a phase change material (PCM) aimed to absorb the excess heat from the user’s head and thermoelectric technology (TEC) amid to cool the PCM in order to compensate the cold temperature lost when cooling the users head. This combination solved a major problem found in previous research studies, the limited usage time for the PCM pouch. The simulation in stand-still condition predicted a heatsink temperature of about 80 °C and a cooling temperature for the head around 24 °C. For moving conditions, the heat sink temperature reached 50 °C and the cooling temperature for the head reached 24 °C. The simulation showed the need of cooling the heat sink to obtain maximum performance. Experimentally, the system has been built and it was guided by the predictions, and tested with an infrared (IR) camera. Testing outcomes showed good results and no overheating in any part of the system by recording a temperature of 25 °C for the heat sink in stand-still condition and 19.5 °C in moving conditions as designed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the designed system has worked successfully and improves the comfortability while wearing a crash helmet.