Performance Evaluation of Composite Materials for Combat Helmets: Static and Explicit Analysis

A combat helmet is a human body armor, used by armies to protect their soldiers from head injuries caused by the high-impact bullets from pistols, rifles, or any other weapon. Bulletproof helmets are one of the new and advanced armors that are in use by armies but one of the key issues in using helmets at large helmets is cost and manufacturing. In this research paper, an idea of composite materials for combat helmets is introduced and simulated using finite element analysis method. A CAD model of combat helmet is modeled using SolidWorks which consists of camera, advance mic, and ECU unit to perform a FEA of two composite materials used in combat helmets. For this study, Kevlar–Epoxy composite and E-Glass–Epoxy composite materials were considered for static and explicit analysis. A load of 500 N and a bullet moving with velocity of 800 m/s were considered for static and explicit analysis respectively to evaluate total deformation, strain energy, and equivalent stress. Finite element analysis results concluded that combat helmet made up of Kevlar–Epoxy composite material offers high stiffness, more potential energy, and restricts high-impact bullets penetration as compared to other options with 30% increase in costs. This data can be used for further analysis for validation in upcoming developments.