Computational fluid dynamic analysis of streamlined gliding and freestyle kicking at different depths

Biography

Andrew Lyttle is the Lead Biomechanist at the Western Australian Institute of Sport where he has been since 2000. Andrew has conducted substantial levels of research into areas from swimming starts and turns; through to being involved in the development of Swimming Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models for analysing swimming technique.

Synopsis 

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) allows simulation of complex fluid flow regimes and geometry to answer questions that cannot be resolved using current physical testing techniques. The CFD model can predict the propulsion or drag created by each body segment throughout the kick cycle. Therefore, the differences between the forces on the body components when at depth, and at the surface, can be determined. This study aimed to predict the change in net forces for a swimmer gliding and kicking at the water surface compared with a completely submerged swimmer, to gain insights into how and where differences occur.