1 research outputs found
DPIV Measurements of Olympic Skeleton Athletes
The Olympic sport of skeleton involves an athlete riding a small sled face
first down a bobsled track at speeds up to 130 km/hr. In these races, the
difference between gold and missing the medal stand altogether can be
hundredths of a second per run. As such, reducing aerodynamic drag through
proper body positioning is of first order importance. To better study the flow
behavior and to improve the performance of the athletes, we constructed a mock
section of a bobsled track which was positioned at the exit of an open loop
wind tunnel. DPIV measurements were made along with video recordings of body
position to aid the athletes in determining their optimal aerodynamic body
position. In the fluid dynamics video shown, the athlete slowly raised his head
while DPIV measurements were made behind the helmet in the separated flow
region.Comment: Videos are included in this submissio