Photo: BluArmor
Although we still have a few months until summer, we all know what riding in such conditions means, especially when having to commute to work in heavy traffic. Yes, I’m talking about arriving at the office with your head looking like you just got out of the shower. Well, you might be able to address that starting this season.
Indian company BluArmor, a subsidiary of AptEner Mechatronics, is on the verge of launching its BluSnap helmet cooling system, a battery-operated device that flows cool air into your helmet. It might look bulky and seem to upset the helmet’s aerodynamic properties, but in city traffic, I think a cool head is better than cutting through the air efficiently.
The BluSnap system will cost around $25 and consists of a water reservoir, an electric fan, a small radiator, and an air filter. The idea is to use the water evaporation effect on the radiator to blow your face with cool air, similar to what happens when your body sweats.
For those who skipped anatomy or thermodynamics classes, water evaporation is an endotherm reaction, meaning this process is absorbing heat when happening, thus the reason we sweat when we are hot - to cool down the body.
The same thing is happening inside the BluSnap but with the added fan to channel the cooler air into your helmet. The producer estimates you could benefit from a drop in temperature between 6 to 15 degrees Celsius. Of course, that depends on how much moisture is in the air around you, which, naturally, will affect the evaporation negatively in a high-humidity climate.
Tests made during last summer in different locations in India showed that in Bangalore, the BluSnap was able to provide an air flow of 25.2 degrees C when outside were 36 degrees. Even in Chennai, a quite humid area, the system returned a 31.1 degrees airflow in 41 C weather. And in my book that is a major success if the data is true.
There’s no data about the weight of the device yet, but it should be fairly light as it looks to be only using a goggle-like strap to stay in place on the helmet. The filter is said to have antibacterial properties, while the battery is expected to last up to 10 hours depending on conditions. Filling the water tank is recommended before each ride and should last for 2 hours, enough for any commute.
The device itself only comes in black but there are several different straps you can choose from, and the whole gizmo is already available for preorder and deliveries are expected to start March 15 this year.
Update: We've been contacted by the company's CEO who pointed out a mistake regarding the airflow temperature when outside conditions register 41 degrees Celsius. It appears that in such conditions, the device will blow air in your helmet at 31.1 degrees C instead of 25.2 C as we said in the first place. Thank you Mr. PK Sundararajan for the clarification.
The BluSnap system will cost around $25 and consists of a water reservoir, an electric fan, a small radiator, and an air filter. The idea is to use the water evaporation effect on the radiator to blow your face with cool air, similar to what happens when your body sweats.
For those who skipped anatomy or thermodynamics classes, water evaporation is an endotherm reaction, meaning this process is absorbing heat when happening, thus the reason we sweat when we are hot - to cool down the body.
The same thing is happening inside the BluSnap but with the added fan to channel the cooler air into your helmet. The producer estimates you could benefit from a drop in temperature between 6 to 15 degrees Celsius. Of course, that depends on how much moisture is in the air around you, which, naturally, will affect the evaporation negatively in a high-humidity climate.
Tests made during last summer in different locations in India showed that in Bangalore, the BluSnap was able to provide an air flow of 25.2 degrees C when outside were 36 degrees. Even in Chennai, a quite humid area, the system returned a 31.1 degrees airflow in 41 C weather. And in my book that is a major success if the data is true.
There’s no data about the weight of the device yet, but it should be fairly light as it looks to be only using a goggle-like strap to stay in place on the helmet. The filter is said to have antibacterial properties, while the battery is expected to last up to 10 hours depending on conditions. Filling the water tank is recommended before each ride and should last for 2 hours, enough for any commute.
The device itself only comes in black but there are several different straps you can choose from, and the whole gizmo is already available for preorder and deliveries are expected to start March 15 this year.
Update: We've been contacted by the company's CEO who pointed out a mistake regarding the airflow temperature when outside conditions register 41 degrees Celsius. It appears that in such conditions, the device will blow air in your helmet at 31.1 degrees C instead of 25.2 C as we said in the first place. Thank you Mr. PK Sundararajan for the clarification.
Google News