Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials
Sports activities often carry a high risk of injury, varying in severity, making the use of protective equipment, such as helmets and kneecaps, essential in many cases. Among all potential injuries, head injuries are the most crucial due to their severity. Hence, in the last decades, the scientific...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Nikolaos Kladovasilakis Konstantinos Tsongas Eleftheria Maria Pechlivani Dimitrios Tzetzis |
| author_facet | Nikolaos Kladovasilakis Konstantinos Tsongas Eleftheria Maria Pechlivani Dimitrios Tzetzis |
| author_sort | Nikolaos Kladovasilakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sports activities often carry a high risk of injury, varying in severity, making the use of protective equipment, such as helmets and kneecaps, essential in many cases. Among all potential injuries, head injuries are the most crucial due to their severity. Hence, in the last decades, the scientific interest has been focused on establishing head injury criteria and improving the helmet design with the ultimate goal of the reduction in injury probability and increasing the athlete’s performance. In this context, the current study aims to develop a lightweight sports helmet with increased safety performance, utilizing topology optimization processes and advanced architected materials. In detail, the design of a conventional helmet was developed and modified applying in specific regions advanced architected materials, such as triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) and hybrid structures, with functionally graded configurations to produce sandwich-like structures capable of absorbing mechanical energy from impacts. The developed helmet’s designs were numerically evaluated through dynamic finite element analyses (FEA), simulating the helmet’s impact on a wall with a specific velocity. Through these analyses, the plastic deformation of the designed helmets was observed, coupled with the stress concentration contours. Furthermore, the results of FEAs were utilized in order to calculate the values of the head injury criterion (HIC). Finally, the developed topologically optimized helmet design incorporating the hybrid lattice structure revealed increased energy absorption, reaching a HIC of 1618, improved by around 14% compared to the conventional design configuration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0f8a9eef0f942a586a1720a9e7bbc56 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2411-9660 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Designs |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0f8a9eef0f942a586a1720a9e7bbc562025-08-20T03:13:44ZengMDPI AGDesigns2411-96602025-02-01922810.3390/designs9020028Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected MaterialsNikolaos Kladovasilakis0Konstantinos Tsongas1Eleftheria Maria Pechlivani2Dimitrios Tzetzis3Digital Manufacturing and Materials Characterization Laboratory, Department of Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, GreeceAdvanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, GreeceCentre for Research & Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 57001 Thessaloniki, GreeceDigital Manufacturing and Materials Characterization Laboratory, Department of Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, GreeceSports activities often carry a high risk of injury, varying in severity, making the use of protective equipment, such as helmets and kneecaps, essential in many cases. Among all potential injuries, head injuries are the most crucial due to their severity. Hence, in the last decades, the scientific interest has been focused on establishing head injury criteria and improving the helmet design with the ultimate goal of the reduction in injury probability and increasing the athlete’s performance. In this context, the current study aims to develop a lightweight sports helmet with increased safety performance, utilizing topology optimization processes and advanced architected materials. In detail, the design of a conventional helmet was developed and modified applying in specific regions advanced architected materials, such as triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) and hybrid structures, with functionally graded configurations to produce sandwich-like structures capable of absorbing mechanical energy from impacts. The developed helmet’s designs were numerically evaluated through dynamic finite element analyses (FEA), simulating the helmet’s impact on a wall with a specific velocity. Through these analyses, the plastic deformation of the designed helmets was observed, coupled with the stress concentration contours. Furthermore, the results of FEAs were utilized in order to calculate the values of the head injury criterion (HIC). Finally, the developed topologically optimized helmet design incorporating the hybrid lattice structure revealed increased energy absorption, reaching a HIC of 1618, improved by around 14% compared to the conventional design configuration.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-9660/9/2/28architected materialstopology optimizationsports helmetdynamic FEAhead injury criterion |
| spellingShingle | Nikolaos Kladovasilakis Konstantinos Tsongas Eleftheria Maria Pechlivani Dimitrios Tzetzis Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials Designs architected materials topology optimization sports helmet dynamic FEA head injury criterion |
| title | Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials |
| title_full | Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials |
| title_fullStr | Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials |
| title_short | Development and Dynamic Numerical Evaluation of a Lightweight Sports Helmet Using Topology Optimization and Advanced Architected Materials |
| title_sort | development and dynamic numerical evaluation of a lightweight sports helmet using topology optimization and advanced architected materials |
| topic | architected materials topology optimization sports helmet dynamic FEA head injury criterion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-9660/9/2/28 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nikolaoskladovasilakis developmentanddynamicnumericalevaluationofalightweightsportshelmetusingtopologyoptimizationandadvancedarchitectedmaterials AT konstantinostsongas developmentanddynamicnumericalevaluationofalightweightsportshelmetusingtopologyoptimizationandadvancedarchitectedmaterials AT eleftheriamariapechlivani developmentanddynamicnumericalevaluationofalightweightsportshelmetusingtopologyoptimizationandadvancedarchitectedmaterials AT dimitriostzetzis developmentanddynamicnumericalevaluationofalightweightsportshelmetusingtopologyoptimizationandadvancedarchitectedmaterials |