Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Gupta, Abhijit

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Mechanical Engineering

LCSH

Mechanical engineering; Recreation; Brain--Concussion--Research; Football helmets--Research; Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Concussions are relatively common in football, due to its nature as a full-contact game. Repeated concussions may increase a person's risk in later life for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and mental health issues such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and depression. Though football helmets are crucial for preventing skull fractures, studies have shown that currently available helmets may not do much to protect players against concussions. This study involved designing a football helmet to reduce the magnitude of concussions occur during a head injury. The helmet was designed by adding extra padding over the outer surface of it. It was tested according to the NOCSAE standards, and the experimental results were compared with those obtained by Finite Element Analysis. The results indicated a reduction in acceleration thus reducing head injury risk with the addition of padding over the helmet.

Comments

Advisors: Abhijit Gupta.||Committee members: Pradip Majumdar; Kim Meung Jung.

Extent

69 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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