Increased Thermal Comfort of Motorcycle Helmet Users with the Addition of Phase Change Material

Aim: The aim of this paper is to design a helmet that can absorb heat from the scalp with phase change material (PCM) made from polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. The helmet design in the form of a three-dimensional computer-aided design model is made based on existing conditions and modified conditions with the addition of PCM. Methods: Simulation of heat propagation in a helmet using the finite element analysis (FEA) method was used to determine the effectiveness of the amount of heat that can be absorbed from the rider's scalp. There were two types of PCM housing (pouch) that were tested, namely pouch - 2 mm thick aluminum (Al) plate and linen flax type fabric. Results: Based on the FEA simulation results, pouches made from flax linen are able to improve heat absorption on the scalp in contact with the helmet foam from a predicted mean vote (PMV) = 3.5 (hot) with a Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied PPD = 100% to a PMV of 1.1 (slightly warm) with a PPD = 31.9%. Conclusions: It can be concluded that PCM with PEG 6000 powder can significantly improve the thermal comfort of helmet wearers. The potential for innovation in PCM pouch materials is still wide open for future research.