Abstract
Exposure to vibration is a major problem for two-wheeler riders in India. Conventional polyurethane foam seats exhibit poor damping, leading to discomfort and musculoskeletal risks. This study experimentally investigates the effectiveness of incorporating Cluid cavities into a PU foam seat to enhance vibration damping. Four types of viscous Cluids, namely silicone oil, castor oil, hydraulic oil and mineral oil, were Cilled within a TPU bladder, which is then Cixed within the pelvic region of a PU foam seat. Vibration analysis is performed using a tri-axial ADXL345 accelerometer with an Arduino-based DAS operating at a sampling rate of 200 Hz, in accordance with ISO 2631 standards. The experiment is performed on rumble strip and speed bump road proCiles at a constant speed of 20 km/h. The effectiveness of the proposed seat is quantiCied using Root-Mean-Square (RMS) acceleration values. The experimental analysis shows that Cluid integration effectively improves the overall performance of the seat compared with a standard PU foam seat. Silicone oil shows superior performance with 25.91% and 21.32% reduction in vibration exposure on rumble strips and speed bumps, respectively. Castor oil also shows improved performance, with reductions of 18.54% and 16.34% in vibration, making it environmentally friendly. The proposed ergonomic seat can effectively reduce vibration exposure, thereby improving comfort for two-wheeler riders. Additionally, the proposed seat is cost-effective, practical and can be implemented within a two-wheeler seat.
Keywords: Fluidic Damping, Polyurethane Foam, Silicone Oil, Two-wheeler Seat, Vibration Damping.