Since 2006, Adidas has unveiled a new football design for each FIFA World Cup. This year’s ball, the Brazuca, is the first 6-panel ball and features glued panels instead of Keep reading
Tag: boundary layer separation
When Turbulence Is Desirable
One of the common themes in aerodynamics, especially in sports applications, is that tripping the flow to turbulence can decrease drag compared to maintaining laminar flow. This seems counterintuitive, but Keep reading
Sochi 2014: Speedskating Suits
Long track speed skating is a race against the clock. Skaters reach speeds of roughly 50 kph, so drag has a significant impact. This is why skaters stay bent and Keep reading
Start Your Rocket Engine
When supersonic flow is achieved through a wind tunnel or rocket nozzle, the flow is said to have “started”. For this to happen, a shock wave must pass through, leaving Keep reading
Those Funny Fins on Airplane Wings
Ever look out an airplane’s window and wondered why a row of little fins runs along the upper side of the wing? These vortex generators help prevent a wing from Keep reading
Unsteady Rocket Nozzle
This numerical simulation gives a glimpse of flow inside an unsteady rocket nozzle. The nozzle is over-expanded, meaning that the exhaust’s pressure is lower than that of the ambient atmosphere. Keep reading
Magnus Force
Physics students are often taught to ignore the effects of air on a projectile, but such effects are not always negligible. This video features several great examples of the Magnus Keep reading
Flapping Flags
The flapping of flexible objects like flags have long fascinated mankind. The figure above from Shelley and Zhang 2011 shows several possible flapping states. In (a) a thread immersed in Keep reading
London 2012: Running Aerodynamics
Running is not an event typically associated with aerodynamics, though any runner will tell you that a headwind can slow them down. For comparison, a swimmer on world record pace Keep reading
London 2012: Cycling Physics
In no discipline of cycling is more emphasis placed on fluid dynamics than in the individual time trial. This event, a solo race against the clock, leaves riders no place Keep reading