Using reverse engineering and computational fluid dynamics to investigate a lower arm amputee swimmer's performance

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Front crawl swimming relies on hand and forearm propulsion.
• Previous studies used experimental tests and steady computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
• The upper arm's propulsive contribution has been largely overlooked, impacting swimmers with amputations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the propulsive forces generated by the upper arm in front crawl swimming.
• To introduce a novel approach combining reverse engineering and unsteady CFD.
• To provide insights for swimmers with elbow-level amputations.

Main Methods:

• Developed a complex CFD mesh model of a swimmer, including the upper arm.
• Simulated dynamic interaction of the model with fluid flow, incorporating arm rotation and body roll.
• Utilized unsteady CFD to analyze forces generated by the upper arm.

Main Results:

• The upper arm was found to effectively contribute to body propulsion.
• Propulsive forces generated by the upper arm were numerically computed during the pull phase.
• Maximum propulsive forces generated by the upper arm reached 8 N.

Conclusions:

• The upper arm plays a significant role in front crawl swimming propulsion.
• The multidisciplinary approach of reverse engineering and unsteady CFD is effective for analyzing fluid-structure interactions.
• Findings can inform training for swimmers with amputations and be applied to other fluid flow scenarios.