Helmet Wake Stabilizer Vortex Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
At high speeds, helmets experience left-right imbalance fluctuations due to vortex generation in turbulent airflow, leading to neck fatigue and unstable driving postures.
Innovation Solution
A wake stabilizer system with bilaterally symmetric side stabilizers and a rear spoiler, featuring a side flow-straightening face and wind separating portion, is integrated into the helmet design to redirect airflow and suppress vortex generation, maintaining helmet stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a wake straightener with a flat top portion is used to suppress negative pressure, then the helmet is pulled backward less at low speeds, but at high speeds exceeding 200 km/h, vortexes are generated in rear regions causing left-right imbalance fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The wake stabilizer is divided into multiple functional segments: a side flow-straightening face that extends from the side surface to the rear surface at a specific angle, and a wind separating portion that generates a longitudinal edge perpendicular to the rear edge of the side flow-straightening face. This segmentation allows different portions to handle different airflow characteristics, preventing vortex generation while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wake stabilizer employs bilaterally symmetric left and right stabilizers arranged about the body wake flow portions. This symmetric arrangement ensures that airflow is evenly managed on both sides of the helmet, preventing the left-right imbalance fluctuations that occur with asymmetric vortex patterns at high speeds.
2Reliability
If the wake straightener introduces airflow to a rear position, then negative pressure is suppressed, but at high relative speeds, turbulent flows and Carman vortexes are generated causing neck fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The side flow-straightening face is designed to extend from the side surface position to the rear surface at a predetermined angle, creating a preliminary flow path that guides airflow smoothly toward the rear position before it reaches the wake region. This preliminary flow conditioning prevents the formation of turbulent flows and Carman vortexes that would otherwise occur at high relative speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The wind separating portion acts as an intermediary element that generates a longitudinal edge perpendicular to the rear edge of the side flow-straightening face. This edge structure mediates the airflow separation process, ensuring that air is smoothly directed to the rear position without generating harmful vortexes or turbulent flows that cause helmet fluctuations and neck fatigue.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wake stabilizer system effectively reduces helmet fluctuations and neck fatigue during high-speed winds, enhancing driving stability and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a side flow-straightening face extending from a side surface position of the body wake flow portion to the rear surface at an angle at which the side flow-straightening face is within a back of the helmet
Implementation Method 2
a wind separating portion generating a longitudinal edge extending perpendicularly on a rear edge of the side flow-straightening face
Data Source
AI summary
To facilitate driving and prevent a fatigue in a neck by avoiding fluctuations of a helmet to left and right even in a wind (air flow) of a high relative speed thereby stabilizing the helmet. A wake stabilizer for the helmet has a right stabilizer (10R) and a left stabilizer (10L) provided symmetrically at the body wake flow portions (9) on the left and right sides of the helmet. Each of the left and right stabilizers (10R, 10L) has a side straightening face (15) extending from the side face position of the body wake flow portion (9) to the rear surface at such an angle as being fitted on the back of the helmet while being kept flat, and a wind separating portion (16) providing a longitudinal edge extending perpendicularly on a rear edge.