Large-scale tomo-PIV for on-site drag analysis in speed sports
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Abstract
Large-scale tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry is proposed as a tool for the on-site aerodynamic investigation in speed sports. The ring-of-fire concept is presented, which relies upon a tomographic PIV system used during the training of athletes in speed sports. The system consists of a short tunnel installed in a velodrome, through which the athletes pass during their training. Helium-filled soap bubbles are used as flow tracers and images are recorded via high-speed digital cameras. The ring-of-fire concept allows measuring the airflow around athletes, and is suitable for aerodynamic investigation and drag minimization. The present study proves the feasibility of the concept by showing its working principle on small scale on the flow over a sphere