Application of Shear Thickening Non-Newtonian Fluid to Minimize Head and Neck Injury

In this project, the application of shear thickening non-Newtonian fluid is proposed to dampen sudden acceleration and deceleration to minimizing neck trauma also known as “whiplash”. The shear-thickening characteristics in some non-fluids are being exploited to provide substantial non-linear damping to sudden acceleration that happens in some sports accidents such as in car racing. The experiments are conducted using a mixture of cornstarch (55 %) and water (45%). Initial experiments demonstrated strong shear thickening behavior at high shear rate (du/dy), which is relevant to high acceleration that occurs in the time of the accident. The shear thickening fluid also demonstrates low shear stress behavior at low shear rates. This also is desirable to provide smooth neck motion. A simple device was constructed to demonstrate and test the concept of using shear damping fluid, consisting of a clear PVC reinforced hose, fixed at one end, then filled with the cornstarch solution and a free floating chain is placed inside the hose. The cornstarch solution surrounds the chain; the chain links in conjunction with the inner wall surface of the flexible hose provide the friction needed to induce a shear force. The result is a damping characteristic caused by the high shear stress of the fluid.