Experimental investigations of the aerodynamics of high performance bicycle downtubes and wheels

赛车的设计是一个竞争非常激烈的市场，以前主要依赖于基于设计师的经验和直觉的临时设计方法。类似于其他竞技运动，如游泳和高尔夫球，严谨的分析和实验科学的应用，对新的自行车概念，正成为设计方法论的一个日益重要的部分，作为设计师，教练和运动员试图获得竞争优势。对高性能赛车的兴趣不仅限于专业运动员和奥运会运动员。普通自行车消费者的要求越来越高，这导致了赛车市场价值的大幅增加，并出现了一些新的制造商，如著名的加拿大公司cercervizlo。

The design of racing bicycles is a very competitive market that has relied previously on an ad hoc design approach primarily based on the designer's experience and intuition. Similar to other competitive sports, such as swimming and golf, the application of rigorous analytical and experimental science towards new bicycle concepts is becoming an increasingly important part of the design methodology as designers, coaches and athletes attempt to gain competitive advantages. The appetite for high performance racing bicycles is not restricted to professional and Olympic athletes. The average cyclist consumer is becoming more and more demanding, which has resulted in a large increase in the value of the market for racing bicycles and the emergence of a number of new manufacturers, such as the well-known Canadian company Cervélo. The aim of the proposed research is to investigate the unique and complex flow physics associated with bicycle components. Two of the key factors contributing to the uniqueness of these flows are the low Reynolds number, and characteristically short and stubby geometries used in bicycle design due to constraints imposed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The goal is thus to develop fundamental knowledge needed to enable new innovations in the design of aerodynamic bicycles. Therefore, bicycle components will be tested in the wind tunnels at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), and their performance will be assessed based on global force measurement via a load cell and detailed flow field measurements using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The experiments will be supported by CFD computation by the industrial partner, Kevin Quan Studios (KQS). The outcomes of this research are expected to provide unique physical insights to improve bicycle designs.