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The Hydrodynamic Study of the Swimming Gliding: a Two-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis
Daniel A Marinho1, Tiago M Barbosa, Abel I Rouboa
1University of Beira Interior. Department of Sport Sciences (UBI, Covilhã. Portugal). ; Research Centre in Sports, Health and Human Development (CIDESD, Portugal).
Journal of Human Kinetics
|March 15, 2013
Summary
Minimizing drag during underwater swimming is key for performance. Computational fluid dynamics revealed that a lateral body position with arms extended forward offers the lowest hydrodynamic drag, ideal for starts and turns.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Fluid Dynamics
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Underwater gliding significantly impacts swimming performance.
- Reducing hydrodynamic drag during gliding is crucial for elite swimmers.
- Optimal body positioning for minimized drag remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the effect of different body positions on hydrodynamic drag during underwater gliding.
- To identify the most effective body posture for reducing drag using computational methods.
Main Methods:
- Employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate steady flow conditions.
- Created 2D virtual models representing various body positions: prone (arms forward/alongside trunk), lateral (arms forward), and dorsal (arms forward).
- Calculated drag forces for speeds ranging from 1.6 m/s to 2 m/s using a 2D Fluent analysis.
Main Results:
- Body positions with arms extended forward exhibited lower drag than arms alongside the trunk.
- The lateral position with arms extended forward demonstrated the lowest hydrodynamic drag values.
- Prone and dorsal positions showed higher drag compared to the optimized lateral glide.
Conclusions:
- The lateral body position with arms extended forward is recommended for minimizing drag during underwater gliding.
- Adopting this posture after starts and turns can enhance swimming efficiency and performance.
- CFD analysis provides valuable insights into optimizing swimming techniques.
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