Fluid Biomechanics

• The study of forces that develop

when an object moves through a
fluid medium.

• Two fluids of interest

• Water

• Air
 Fluid forces
• Four major fluid forces of interest:
• Weight

• Buoyant Force

• Drag

• Lift

• Other Forces
 Floatation

• Equilibrium:
• weight of object = buoyant force
• Floatation:
• specific gravity < 1
• weight of object < max. buoyant force
• Specific gravity:
S = Wbody
Wwater

• Center of buoyancy:
The point that is CG of volume of water
equal to the volume and shape of the
submerged body

CB is closer to the chest region

CG is closer to the pelvic region
Natural
floater
True
floater
True sinker
 Buoyant Force
• Archimedes’ Principle:
• Object in a fluid is acted on a buoyant force.

• buoyant force = weight of the fluid displaced by

the object

“A body that is partially or totally immersed in

a fluid will experience an upward buoyant
force that is equal to the weight of the
volume of fluid displaced by that body”
 Center of buoyancy &
swimming performance
 Vwater = +10
Vboat –Vwater = 0 – 10 = –
 Vwater = +10
Vboat –Vwater = 10 – 10 = 0
 Vwater =0
Vboat –Vwater = 10 – 0 = 10
 Drag Force
• Along the direction of motion
• Opposite of relative flow
• Slows down the speed
• Resistance
• Affected by cross-section area
• Affected by surface smoothness

FD = ½ CDAρ V2
Skin Friction / Surface Drag
• Boundary layer: layer of affected
air
• Depends on
• relative velocity
• surface area
• smoothness of surface
• fluid (viscosity)
• fabric (swim suit), shaving body in
swimming
 Profile Drag/Form Drag

• Due to separation of the fluid

from the boundary of the object
• Eddy currents

• Pressure gradient

• Streamlining
 Profile Drag/Form Drag

• depends on
• cross-section
• shape of the body
• smoothness of the surface
• bicyclist in upright v. crouched position
 Wave Drag
• Resistance at the interface, due to wave
 Lift
• Perpendicular to the direction of motion
• Created by different pressures on opposite
sides of an object due to fluid flow past the
object

• Bernoulli’s principle: velocity is inversely

proportional to pressure
 Bernoulli’s Law

“Where the flow velocity is fast, the

pressure is low; where the flow
velocity is slow, the pressure is high”

FL = ½ CLAρ V2
 Effect of Lift in Sport
Variables influencing aerodynamic
lift force
• Angle of Projection; angle between
horizontal and CG of projectile
• Line of Flight
• Attitude Angle; angle between horizontal
and long axis of projectile
 Effect of Lift in Sport

• Center of Pressure
• Angle of Attack at Release; angle
between projectile’s long axis and
projection angle
 The Magnus Effect

• The Magnus effect

describes the curved

path that is observed

by spinning

projectiles
 The Magnus Effect

• Explained by
Bernoulli’s principle
and the pressure
differences caused
by relative
differences in flow
velocities
 Top Spinning

• Velocity of superior boundary

layer decrease
• Velocity of inferior boundary
layer increase
• NET Force; Downward
 Back Spinning
• Velocity of superior boundary layer
increase
• Velocity of inferior boundary layer
decrease
• NET Force; upward
• Rebound
 NET FORCE (up)

flow
 Side Spinning
• Lt. spin
Rt. side – low pressure zone
Lt. side – high pressure zone
NET Force; to Rt. side

• Rt. Spin
Lt. side – low pressure zone
Rt.side – high pressure zone
NET Force; to Lt. side