Aerodynamic drag in competitive tandem para-cycling: Road race versus time-trial positions

Paul Mannion; Yasin Toparlar; Bert Blocken; Eoghan Clifford; Thomas Andrianne; Magdalena Hajdukiewicz

doi:10.1016/j.jweia.2018.05.011

Aerodynamic drag in competitive tandem para-cycling: Road race versus time-trial positions

Paul Mannion^*, Yasin Toparlar, Bert Blocken, Eoghan Clifford, Thomas Andrianne, Magdalena Hajdukiewicz

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An athlete's riding posture is a key element for aerodynamic drag in cycling. Tandem cycling has the complication of having two athletes in close proximity to each other on a single tandem bicycle. The complex flow-field between the pilot and stoker in tandem cycling presents new challenges for aerodynamic optimisation. Aerodynamic drag acting on two tandem road race setups and two track time-trial setups were analysed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. For validation purposes, wind tunnel measurements were designed providing drag measurements from both tandem athletes simultaneously using a quarter-scale model. A max drag force deviation of 4.9% was found between the wind tunnel experiments and CFD simulations of the quarter-scale geometry. Full-scale CFD simulations of upright, crouched, time-trial and frame-clench tandem setups were performed. The drag force experienced by individual athletes in all investigated tandem setups was compared to that of solo riders to enhance understanding of the aerodynamic interaction between both tandem athletes. The most aerodynamic tandem setup was found to be the frame-clench setup which is unique to tandem cycling and had a C_DA of 0.286 m², and could provide an advantage of 8.1 s over a standard time-trial setup for a 10 km time-trial event.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	92-101
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics
Volume	179
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2018.05.011
Publication status	Published - Aug 2018

Keywords

Aerodynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Para-cycling
Paralympic
Tandem
Time-trial
Wind tunnel experiments

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Civil and Structural Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Mechanical Engineering

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jweia.2018.05.011Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Aerodynamic drag in competitive tandem para-cycling: Road race versus time-trial positions",

abstract = "An athlete's riding posture is a key element for aerodynamic drag in cycling. Tandem cycling has the complication of having two athletes in close proximity to each other on a single tandem bicycle. The complex flow-field between the pilot and stoker in tandem cycling presents new challenges for aerodynamic optimisation. Aerodynamic drag acting on two tandem road race setups and two track time-trial setups were analysed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. For validation purposes, wind tunnel measurements were designed providing drag measurements from both tandem athletes simultaneously using a quarter-scale model. A max drag force deviation of 4.9% was found between the wind tunnel experiments and CFD simulations of the quarter-scale geometry. Full-scale CFD simulations of upright, crouched, time-trial and frame-clench tandem setups were performed. The drag force experienced by individual athletes in all investigated tandem setups was compared to that of solo riders to enhance understanding of the aerodynamic interaction between both tandem athletes. The most aerodynamic tandem setup was found to be the frame-clench setup which is unique to tandem cycling and had a CDA of 0.286 m2, and could provide an advantage of 8.1 s over a standard time-trial setup for a 10 km time-trial event.",

keywords = "Aerodynamics, Computational fluid dynamics, Para-cycling, Paralympic, Tandem, Time-trial, Wind tunnel experiments",

author = "Paul Mannion and Yasin Toparlar and Bert Blocken and Eoghan Clifford and Thomas Andrianne and Magdalena Hajdukiewicz",

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year = "2018",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jweia.2018.05.011",

language = "English",

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AU - Blocken, Bert

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AU - Andrianne, Thomas

AU - Hajdukiewicz, Magdalena

PY - 2018/8

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AB - An athlete's riding posture is a key element for aerodynamic drag in cycling. Tandem cycling has the complication of having two athletes in close proximity to each other on a single tandem bicycle. The complex flow-field between the pilot and stoker in tandem cycling presents new challenges for aerodynamic optimisation. Aerodynamic drag acting on two tandem road race setups and two track time-trial setups were analysed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. For validation purposes, wind tunnel measurements were designed providing drag measurements from both tandem athletes simultaneously using a quarter-scale model. A max drag force deviation of 4.9% was found between the wind tunnel experiments and CFD simulations of the quarter-scale geometry. Full-scale CFD simulations of upright, crouched, time-trial and frame-clench tandem setups were performed. The drag force experienced by individual athletes in all investigated tandem setups was compared to that of solo riders to enhance understanding of the aerodynamic interaction between both tandem athletes. The most aerodynamic tandem setup was found to be the frame-clench setup which is unique to tandem cycling and had a CDA of 0.286 m2, and could provide an advantage of 8.1 s over a standard time-trial setup for a 10 km time-trial event.

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Aerodynamic drag in competitive tandem para-cycling: Road race versus time-trial positions

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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