Engineering Everywhere Engineering Notebook Put a Lid on It: Engineering Safety Helmets Name: Crash Test Engineering 1
The Engineering Design Process 2 Museum of Science
My Engineering Profile Prep Activity 1 Think about yourself as an engineer. Use a red marker to check off your engineering strengths. Use a blue marker to circle any engineering skills you d like to practice getting better at throughout the rest of this engineering unit. communicating building things imagining being creative drawing working on a team leading a team analyzing data making a plan offering critical feedback on others work receiving feedback on your own work moving forward after something doesn t work thinking of different ways to do something solving problems troubleshooting problems Are there other engineering skills that you feel are strengths or things you hope to get better at? List ideas here and add to your list as you move through the unit. Can you think of a technology you use every day that you could use engineering to improve? How would you improve it? Crash Test Engineering 3
Activity 1 The EDP: Pasta Package As you engineer your pasta package, keep track of how you use each step of the Engineering Design Process. Step 1: Identify Your challenge is to engineer something to protect the model brain from breaking when it falls. Step 2: Investigate Circle the materials you think will work: yarn craft sticks craft foam masking tape cotton balls small bubble wrap large bubble wrap Steps 3 and 4: Imagine and Plan Imagine some package designs and draw diagrams of them. Circle the package you will actually plan out and create. 4 Museum of Science
The EDP: Pasta Package Activity 1 Step 5: Create Use your calipers to check that your package design is less than 3 inches in any direction. If your package meets this criterion, move forward to testing! Step 6: Test What happened to the pasta when you dropped your package? the pasta was fine the pasta cracked the pasta broke Was your package less than 3 inches in all directions? yes no Step 7: Improve How could you make your package better? Draw or write below. Step 8: Communicate Share one thing you learned from this activity: Crash Test Engineering 5
Activity 2 Brain Diagrams Brain Lobes: What Parts of the Brain Control: 6 Museum of Science
Concussion Simulation Activity 2 Obstacle Course Times: Run 1 (no concussion symptoms): Run 2 (with concussion symptoms): Describe your experience below. What sort of symptoms did you feel during the simulated concussion run? How were the two runs different? What activities were challenging with the concussion symptoms? Crash Test Engineering 7
Activity 3 History of Hardhats A hundred years ago, the hard hat didn t exist. Even fifty years ago, head protection wasn t widely required for workers. But, thanks to increased concern and other advances in safety, the hard hat was created and improved. In the late 1800s there was a manufacturing company called Bullard that sold mining equipment to gold and copper miners. In 1919, their first safety helmet was patented. The Bullard helmet was based on a helmet that the CEO had worn as a soldier during World War I. Early 1900s Hard Hat The original safety helmet was made out of steamed canvas, glue, a leather brim, and black paint. Most importantly, there was a suspension device built inside that held the bucket portion of the helmet off of the head. In 1938, Bullard designed and manufactured the first aluminum hard hat, which was very durable and lightweight for the time. There are disadvantages to aluminum, though. Aluminum helmets conduct electricity, for example. Later helmet designs have used fiberglass and plastic as materials. Today s Yellow Hard Hat When you mention hard hats, many people imagine a yellow, plastic version. This common design does have many features that make it desirable to use. Because it is made of plastic it is lightweight, durable, and does not conduct electricity. The shape has also been designed to offer good movement. The interior contains a shock liner and padding to make the helmet comfortable. New versions include vents that help keep the user cool. Modern Hard Hat source: http://www.bullard.com/v3/products/ head_face/head_protection/hard_hat_history/ 8 Museum of Science
History of Hockey Helmets Activity 3 On January 13, 1968, Minnesota s Bill Masterton hit his head on the ice and never regained consciousness. His death remains the only on-ice fatality in National Hockey League history. Like almost all pro players then, Masterton wasn t wearing a helmet. Although many players in the early days of the sport wore hats, they were just trying to keep their heads warm, not protected. There were occasional attempts in the early 1900s to have players wear helmets, but the idea never stuck. In the late 1930s, for example, Detroit general manager and coach Jack Adams made helmets mandatory for all Wings. One by one, the players abandoned them, saying they were too confining or uncomfortable. 1980s Hockey Helmet Perhaps the most influential spokesman for helmets was Red Kelly, the longtime Wings defenseman. Kelly began wearing a helmet shortly after being traded to Toronto in 1960. Kelly plays it safe, proclaimed a safety brochure distributed in Canadian schools. By 1964, about 200,000 players in the Toronto Hockey League were wearing the mandated helmets. The first helmets widely worn in the NHL were molded plastic helmets imported from Europe. In the early 1970s, General Electric produced a helmet made of synthetic material called Lexan. This helmet also featured a suspension system that kept the head from contacting the outer shell. On June 1, 1979, the NHL began requiring anyone entering the league after that date to wear a helmet. Existing players could continue to go hatless if they wished. The last player to play without a helmet in the NHL was Craig MacTavish of the St. Louis Blues during the 1996 to 1997 season. Source: http://blog.detroitathletic.com/2011/11/02/a-shortheads-up-history-of-the-hockey-helmet/ Modern Hockey Helmet Crash Test Engineering 9
Activity 3 History of American Football Helmets Head injuries are one of the biggest risks of playing football. Because players run at high speeds and collide into one another headfirst, injuries can be severe. Wearing specially designed helmets can help reduce the risk of injury. Leather Helmets Leather helmets were the first type of helmet used by football players. These helmets were soft and offered a very thin layer of padding. The helmets were so soft and flexible that they could be folded up and put in a player s pocket. In the 1930s helmet designers began treating the leather so that it was harder. More padding was also added. Modern Football Helmet Plastic Helmets The National Football League introduced plastic helmets in the 1940s and 1950s. Plastic helmets are still used today, though the designs have changed drastically and helped improve the comfort and safety of the helmets. Some of the helmets used today even containing electronic monitors that register the impact sustained by the helmet and can alert players and coaches about potential concussions and brain damage. Addition of Graphics In the 1940s, teams began placing colored graphics on the outside of leather helmets. The first team to do this was the Los Angeles Rams. They painted blue and yellow rams horsn on each side of the leather helmet. Graphics continue to be used by most teams today. source: http://www.extremeteamsports.com/football- Pop%20Warner/HistoryOfFootballHelmets.htm 1930s Football Helmet 10 Museum of Science
History of Bicycle Helmets Activity 3 Like many other athletes, bicyclists first used leather helmets. By the 1970s some cyclists had taken to wearing hockey or mountaineering helmets since no hard helmets specifically designed for cyclists existed. Cyclists saw the need for head protection, but it was difficult to find light weight helmets that did not obstruct views and offered ventilation. Around 1973, a company called Mountain Safety Research, introduced a modified mountaineering helmet that many cyclists used. The helmet used cloth webbing attached by side clips to provide impact absorption. They later added foam inserts between the webbing straps. The next year, a company called Bell introduced the first helmet designed from scratch specifically for bicycling. It used foam as its impact-absorbing material, and had tapered ventilating inlets, as do most other bicycle helmets made since. Modern Helmets There are three main types of modern bicycle helmets: No-shell Bicycle Helmet Hardshell: This type of helmet has a hard plastic shell designed to resist penetration by pointed rocks, curbs, etc. Most skate-style helmets are still made this way. No-shell: For a short while, in the late 1980s, bicycle helmets were made from an expanded polystyrene shell covered with thin cloth. This helmet weighed less than other helmets, but questions arose as to whether the polystyrene might snag on rough pavement during a fall. This could cause brain and neck injury due to head rotation. Also, such helmets would often break apart on impact. Thin-shell: This type of helmet is covered with a thin plastic shell. It provides a smooth surface to avoid snagging on rough pavement, and helps to hold the helmet together on impact. In high-end helmets with big vents, reinforcing of plastic, nylon or more exotic materials is molded inside the expanded polystyrene. Most helmets made and sold since 1990 are thin-shell helmets. Source: http://sheldonbrown.com/helmets.html Modern Bicycle Helmet Crash Test Engineering 11
Activity 3 Materials Price List Material Price Cotton Ball $0.10 Pipe Cleaner $0.25 Yarn Masking Tape Aluminum Foil Fabric Cardboard Craft Foam Sheet Batting Bubble Wrap Aluminum Tray $0.50/foot $0.05/inch $1.00/sheet $1.00/sheet $1.00/sheet $1.00/sheet $2.00/sheet $2.00/sheet $2.00 12 Museum of Science
3 Plan Draw a labeled diagram of your helmet plan and list materials you will need to create it. Activity Materials: Price: Materials: Price: Crash Test Engineering 13
Activity 3 Create: Helmet Scoring Sheet Thickness Score Procedure: Use the caliper to measure the thickness of your helmet Score My Score 3 Helmet is less than 1 inch thick 2 Helmet is between 1 and 2 inches thick 1 Helmet is more than 2 inches thick Weight Score Procedure: Place an empty plastic cup on the scale and tare the scale to zero. Then balance your helmet onto the cup and record the weight. Score My Score 3 Helmet weighs under 50 grams 2 Helmet weighs between 50-100 grams 1 Helmet weighs over 100 grams Safety Score Procedure: Secure a small plastic bag containing one paint ball to the top of the model head. Place your helmet onto the model head, drop the head to the floor, and inspect the paint ball. Score My Score 3 The paint ball is not damaged at all. 2 The paint ball is cracked and leaking 1 The paint ball is smashed. 14 Museum of Science
Create: Helmet Scoring Sheet Activity 3 Cost Add up the total cost of materials you used. $ Score 3 Cost is less than $5 2 Cost is between $5 and $10 1 Cost is more than $10 My Score Add up all of your scores to get the total score. Total Score = Use the space below to note or draw any observations you make during testing. Are there ways you would like to improve your helmet next time? Crash Test Engineering 15
4 Draw a labeled diagram of your improved helmet plan and list materials you will need to create it. You can improve upon your existing helmet or create a new one. Activity Improved Helmet Plan Materials: Price: Materials: Price: 16 Museum of Science
Improved Helmet Scoring Sheet Activity 4 Thickness Score Procedure: Use the caliper to measure the thickness of your helmet Score My Score 3 Helmet is less than 1 inch thick 2 Helmet is between 1 and 2 inches thick 1 Helmet is more than 2 inches thick Weight Score Procedure: Place an empty plastic cup on the scale and tare the scale to zero. Then balance your helmet onto the cup and record the weight. Score My Score 3 Helmet weighs under 50 grams 2 Helmet weighs between 50-100 grams 1 Helmet weighs over 100 grams Safety Score Procedure: Secure a small plastic bag containing one paint ball to the top of the model head. Place your helmet onto the model head, drop the head to the floor, and inspect the paint ball. Score My Score 3 The paint ball is not damaged at all. 2 The paint ball is cracked and leaking 1 The paint ball is smashed. Crash Test Engineering 17
Activity 4 Improved Helmet Scoring Sheet Cost Add up the total cost of materials you used. $ Score 3 Cost is less than $5 2 Cost is between $5 and $10 1 Cost is more than $10 My Score Add up all of your scores to get the total score. Total Score = Use the space below to note or draw any observations you make during testing. Are there ways you would like to improve your helmet next time? 18 Museum of Science
Communicate Activity 5 During the showcase, you ll get to share information about your engineering challenge with other teams. What are some things you might want to tell them about engineering helmets, and your design in particular? Communicate Crash Test Engineering 19