Many sports use spherical balls, but the small size and weight of a table tennis ball makes it the one where aerodynamics have the strongest effect. Spin also plays a Keep reading
Tag: flow separation
Plasma Flow Control
Engineers frequently face the challenge of maintaining control of air flow around an object across a wide range of conditions. After all, wind turbines and airplanes don’t always get to Keep reading
The Challenges of Micro Air Vehicles
Interest in micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) has proliferated in the last decade. But making these aircraft fly is more complicated than simply shrinking airplane designs. At smaller sizes and lower speeds, Keep reading
Magnus Effect
Putting a little bit of spin on an object can have a big aerodynamic effect, thanks to the Magnus effect. As demonstrated in the video above, backspin on a basketball Keep reading
Turbine Blade Separation
[original media no longer available] Maintaining consistent air flow along the contours of an object is key to aerodynamic efficiency. When air flow separates or forms a recirculation zone, the Keep reading
Transonic Flow
In the transonic speed regime the overall speed of an airplane is less than Mach 1 but some parts of the flow around the aircraft break the speed of sound. Keep reading
Frisbee Physics, Part 2
Yesterday we discussed some of the basic mechanics of a frisbee in flight. Although frisbees do generate lift similarly to a wing, they do have some unique features. You’ve probably Keep reading
Sharkskin Fluid Dynamics
Sharks have evolved some incredible fluid dynamical abilities. Instead of scales, their skin is covered in microscopic structures called denticles. To give you a sense of size, each denticle in Keep reading
Separating Flow
Flow separation occurs when a fluid is unable to flow smoothly around an object. In the case of the photo above, fog is being used to visualize flow around an Keep reading
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