Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight
While baseball is a popular sport with a storied history, the aerodynamic properties of the seamed sports ball are not fully understood. Reported aerodynamic baseball behaviors are primarily based on force measurements from wind tunnels. The following describes a methodology to measure baseball drag...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1416 |
| _version_ | 1797489145558335488 |
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| author | Lloyd Smith Andrea Sciacchitano |
| author_facet | Lloyd Smith Andrea Sciacchitano |
| author_sort | Lloyd Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While baseball is a popular sport with a storied history, the aerodynamic properties of the seamed sports ball are not fully understood. Reported aerodynamic baseball behaviors are primarily based on force measurements from wind tunnels. The following describes a methodology to measure baseball drag in free flight from changes in its speed. The method relies on a high accuracy ball delivery device and speed measurement system. It avoids the large infrastructure, stinger attachment and blockage effects associated with wind tunnels. In the present work, we examined the baseball drag as a function of orientation and with spin. The drag values retrieved from the proposed method are in good agreement with radar and video measurements. However, they are lower than those reported in other wind tunnel measurements, which was attributed to differences in the balls that were tested or the stinger attachment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:13:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b369929d71ec4986a59d4a36fa2fd9e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:13:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-b369929d71ec4986a59d4a36fa2fd9e22023-11-23T15:57:13ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-01-01123141610.3390/app12031416Baseball Drag Measurements in Free FlightLloyd Smith0Andrea Sciacchitano1School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USADepartment of Aerodynamics, Delft University of Technology, NE 2628 Delft, The NetherlandsWhile baseball is a popular sport with a storied history, the aerodynamic properties of the seamed sports ball are not fully understood. Reported aerodynamic baseball behaviors are primarily based on force measurements from wind tunnels. The following describes a methodology to measure baseball drag in free flight from changes in its speed. The method relies on a high accuracy ball delivery device and speed measurement system. It avoids the large infrastructure, stinger attachment and blockage effects associated with wind tunnels. In the present work, we examined the baseball drag as a function of orientation and with spin. The drag values retrieved from the proposed method are in good agreement with radar and video measurements. However, they are lower than those reported in other wind tunnel measurements, which was attributed to differences in the balls that were tested or the stinger attachment.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1416baseball aerodynamicsaerodynamic drag measurementsfree-flight aerodynamics |
| spellingShingle | Lloyd Smith Andrea Sciacchitano Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight Applied Sciences baseball aerodynamics aerodynamic drag measurements free-flight aerodynamics |
| title | Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight |
| title_full | Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight |
| title_fullStr | Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight |
| title_full_unstemmed | Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight |
| title_short | Baseball Drag Measurements in Free Flight |
| title_sort | baseball drag measurements in free flight |
| topic | baseball aerodynamics aerodynamic drag measurements free-flight aerodynamics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/3/1416 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lloydsmith baseballdragmeasurementsinfreeflight AT andreasciacchitano baseballdragmeasurementsinfreeflight |