Abstract

SILVA, A.J. et al. Measurement of swimmer's hand/forearm propulsive forces generation using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Rev. Port. Cien. Desp. [online]. 2005, vol.5, n.3, pp.288-297. ISSN 1645-0523.

Propulsive force generated by swimmers hand/forearm has been studied through experimental tests. However, there are serious doubts as to whether forces quantified with these procedures are accurate enough to be meaningful. The main purpose of the present work was twofold: i) continuing the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a new tool in swimming research; ii) apply the CFD method in the calculation of drag and lift coefficients resulting from the numerical resolution equations of the flow around the swimmers hand/forearm. For these purposes three, two-dimensional, models of a right male hand/forearm were studied. A frontal model (q =90º, F=0º) and two lateral models, one with the thumb as leading edge (q=180º, F=0º), and the other with the litle finger as the leading edge (q=0º,F=0º). The governing system of equations considered was the incompressible Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The main results reported that the drag coefficient was the coefficient that accounts more for propulsion, and was almost constant for the whole range of velocities, with a maximum value of 1,16 (C_d=1,16). Through the results, we can conclude that: i) CFD can be considered an interesting new approach for hydrodynamic forces calculation in swimming research; ii) in the three models studied the lift coefficient may be of secondary importance in force generation.

Keywords : CFD; turbulence models; drag; lift; hydrodynamics.

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