Preliminary study: A new method to assess the effective frontal area of cyclists

Anthony Bouillod (1, 2, 3) , Luca Oggiano (4) , Georges Soto-Romero (5, 1) , Emmanuel Brunet (2) , Frederic Grappe (6, 3)

1 LAAS-S4M - Équipe Instrumentation embarquée et systèmes de surveillance intelligents
2 French Cycling Federation, Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France
3 C3S - Laboratoire Culture, sport, santé, société - UFC (UR 4660)
4 Norwegian university of science and technology – Department of energy and process engineering, Trondheim, Norway
5 ISIFC - Génie Biomédical, 23 Rue Alain Savary, Besançon, France
6 Professional Cycling Team FDJ, Moussy le Vieux, France

The present work aimed to assess the effective frontal area (AC d , m 2) of a cyclist using both 3D scanning and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation and compare the results with wind tunnel and field measurements. One elite cyclist was recruited to complete a 3D scanning, a wind tunnel test and a field test. The 3D scanning was analyzed using CFD simulation to determine the AC d of the cyclist. The CFD AC d was compared to those measured in both wind tunnel and field tests. The 3D scanning method provides useful data for cycling science and TT position or equipment optimization, by using iterative approach. Indeed, the AC d obtained after CFD simulation was in accordance with those obtained in both wind tunnel and field testing sessions. Resolution, scanning time and post processing are compatible with an extensive use in real conditions and with a larger number of cyclists.

Mots clés: Aerodynamics; 3D Scanning; CFD; Wind Tunnel; Field cycling

Domaines: Dynamique des Fluides [physics.flu-dyn]; Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]

Anthony Bouillod, Luca Oggiano, Georges Soto-Romero, Emmanuel Brunet, Frederic Grappe. Preliminary study: A new method to assess the effective frontal area of cyclists. 4th International Congress on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support (IcSPORTS), Nov 2016, Porto, Portugal. ⟨hal-01385084⟩