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To improve the aerodynamic performance of cyclists, detailed information of the flow field is required around these highly three-dimensional bluff-body geometries. Using traditional measurement techniques with cyclists in a wind tunnel, it is often difficult or impractical to acquire detailed flow field surveys. In this paper two examples are discussed where highresolution Particle Image Velocimetry has been undertaken in a water channel to investigate the wake dynamics of a single pedalling cyclist and the flow between multiple cyclists. These areas have previously been difficult to measure experimentally using intrusive measurement techniques. The first example provides a comparison of the phase-averaged wake of a 1:4.5 scale pedalling cyclist/bicycle combination in the water channel and that of a full-scale cyclist mannequin of similar geometry and position in a wind tunnel. The second example shows an application of PIV to measure the flow field between two drafting cyclists. Good agreement is observed between the large-scale wake of the scale model and full-scale mannequin despite an order-of-magnitude difference in Reynolds number. The drafting model shows that for spacings greater than a bike length, the trailing rider has negligible effect on the wake of the upstream rider

Item Type:	Refereed Conference Paper
Keywords:	cycling aerodynamics, vortex flow, fluid dynamics
Research Division:	Engineering
Research Group:	Fluid mechanics and thermal engineering
Research Field:	Fluid mechanics and thermal engineering not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences
UTAS Author:	Venning, JA (Dr James Venning)
ID Code:	115603
Year Published:	2015
Deposited By:	NC Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics
Deposited On:	2017-03-31
Last Modified:	2017-05-01
Downloads:	79 View Download Statistics