On Optimum Racing Helmets

The design of a racing helmet is examined. The fundamentals behind the technology are shown to be rooted in cavitation and fluid pumping of the cerebral spinal fluid and angular acceleration of the brain tissue due to a rapid momentum exchange between the body and the head. Following discussion of the fundamental equations, the paper turns to the function of the helmet in providing a ramp for the acceleration pulse. The design of a helmet is addressed from the standpoint of analysis.