Engineering of a backpack ventilation technology for cycling using CFD analysis

Abstract

Thermoregulation of an athlete during physical activities plays an important role especially in endurance sports such as cycling. Depending on the kind and intensity level of the activity thermoregulation can affect performance and/or thermal comfort. During cycling, especially within the MTB categories, athletes often wear a backpack. The overall goal of the study was to engineer a new backpack ventilation technology utilizing the relative headwind generated during cycling for convective heat transfer between backpack and first clothing layer. Exploration and evaluation of new rear panel designs were done applying a CFD analysis. CFD Analyses were done at AirShaper TM using a steady-state RANS (Reynols Averaged Navier Stokes) method with k-omega SST turbulence model. The CFD analysis of the newly developed rear panel designs exhibit the potential to influence the convective heat transfer especially around the spine region in a positive way during cycling.