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Abstract
The effectiveness of helmets in extenuating the primary shock waves generated by the explosions of improvised explosive devices is not clearly understood. In this work, the role of helmet on the overpressurisation and impulse experienced by the head were examined. The shock wave–head interactions were studied under three different cases: (i) unprotected head, (ii) head with helmet but with varying head–helmet gaps and (iii) head covered with helmet and tightly fitting foam pads. The intensification effect was discussed by examining the shock wave flow pattern and verified with experiments. A helmet with a better protection against shock wave is suggested.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the US Army Research Office for the project on ‘Army-UNL Center for Trauma Mechanics’, Contract No. W911NF-08-1-0483. The authors thank Ruqiang Feng, Mehrdad Negahban and Erwan Plougonven at UNL for many useful discussions. The authors also thank David Mott of Naval Research Laboratory and Robert Salzar of University of Virginia for bringing their experimental work to our attention.