Effects of Hand-Arm and Whole-Body Vibrations on Heart of Motorcycle Rider

Headnote

ABSTRACT:

Motorcycle riders are subjected to hand arm and whole body vibrations. Both these vibrations affect the health of the rider. This paper attempts to analyze the effects of these vibrations on heart using finite element simulation and experiments. Firstly, the hand arm and whole body vibration forces are measured by conducting experiments on different motorcycles and for various road conditions. These measured forces are applied to the finite element model of a motorcycle rider to predict the distribution of Von mises stress around heart. Secondly, the average relative heart rate, the hand arm and whole body vibration accelerations are measured with by conducting experiments on different riders with typical body mass index and for various road conditions. The variations in the vibrations magnitude and the Von mises stress around heart correlate well. The Von mises stress and heart rate are more sensitive to the hand arm vibrations than the whole body vibrations. This effect on the heart may cause a cardiac problem in the long run.

KEYWORDS:

Finite element simulation, Motorcycle rider, Hand-arm vibration, Heart rate, Whole-body vibration

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1. Introduction

Vibrations are common in most of the machine, tools and equipments and it is more in the automobile because of the dynamic nature. The magnitude of the vibration depends on various parameters such as engine size, body weight, seat cushion, suspension system, and road conditions. Vibrations during motorcycle riding are unavoidable due to its dynamic nature and poor road conditions. Normally, there are two major types of vibrations namely Hand-Arm Vibrations (HAV) and Whole-Body Vibrations (WBV). HAV is defined as the vibration transmitted from the motorcycle handle bar to the hands of the rider. WBV is defined as the vibration transmitted from the motorcycle seat to the hip of the rider. Both the HAV and WBV are transmitted to the entire body and affect the heart of the rider.

The human body does not consist of geometrically regular shape parts. It is a non-homogeneous body comprising of uneven curved parts that are made up of different materials. Whenever vibration acts on the rider, the body experiences stresses throughout its parts. Since heart is the vital part of the body, measuring these stresses directly by experiments on heart is...