Abstract
The panel patterns of soccer balls that change with each World Cup have a significant impact on the balls’ aerodynamic and flight characteristics. In this study, the aerodynamic forces of eleven types of soccer ball with different panel patterns were measured in a wind tunnel experiment. We characterized the panel shapes of soccer balls by the length, cross-sectional area, and the panel grooves’ volume. The results confirmed that the drag and drag crisis characteristics are dependent on the groove length and volumes. Flow separation points were visualized by an oil film experiment and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement to understand the drag crisis of the soccer balls. The results showed that the panel shape of the ball significantly changes the position of the separation point near the critical region, where the drags crisis occurs. In the critical region, laminar and turbulent flows coexist on the ball. On the other hand, the effect of panel shape on the separation point position is small in subcritical and supercritical states.
Highlights
In soccer, the aerodynamic characteristics of the ball have a significant effect on the development of the game
A new type of soccer ball is introduced at each World Cup and other major international tournaments, and the shape of the panels that make up the ball has a significant influence on its behavior
No significant change in jet direction was observed when the panel shape was symmetrical. These results suggest that the panel shape is related to the degree of change in the jet flow direction and the resulting blur in the flight path
Summary
The aerodynamic characteristics of the ball have a significant effect on the development of the game. A new type of soccer ball is introduced at each World Cup and other major international tournaments, and the shape of the panels that make up the ball has a significant influence on its behavior. Teamgeist‘s flight path changes irregularly when it is kicked in a way that does not allow the ball to rotate, and many impressive goal scenes were created by using this blur ball. This technique attracted people all over the world and became a new style of soccer. The influence of the panel shape on the ball’s flight path has become an essential aspect of ball design. Various aerodynamic studies have been conducted to elucidate the mechanism of this effect
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