Monash plays a role in Olympic dreams
Glenn O Shea, Rohan Dennis, Michael Hepburn and Jack Bobridge training in the Monash Wind Tunnel
When Australian cyclists line up at the London Olympic velodrome next week, they will have the advantage of having undergone ground-breaking analysis in the southern hemisphere’s largest wind tunnel.
A collaborative partnership between Monash University, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and Cycling Australia has enabled the Australian men’s pursuit team and coaches to analyse rider-by-rider aerodynamic interaction in the University’s wind tunnel.
Professor John Sheridan, of Monash University's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, which manages the Wind Tunnel, said he hoped the testing would have a positive impact on the team.
“It really is possible to make a difference when you have access to such a facility,” Professor Sheridan said.
“A cyclist is not an aerodynamic shape, like a wing, but we learnt how the flow passes over the riders which enabled us to make recommendations that should make a big difference in their performance.
“By combining this with the expertise from the AIS and Cycling Australia, we have found ways to make our athletes go faster for longer.”
Meanwhile, Australian archers will be better equipped to hit the target at the London Olympics having had their arrow choice analysed by a Monash University researcher.
Dr James Park from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering used the Monash Wind Tunnel to test aerodynamic drag and rotation of arrows and the likely wind drift for a given arrow as they move through the air.
Dr Park, who is also the coach of the Australian Olympic archery team, hopes the findings of his research will assist the team overcome any windy conditions the team might face at the historic Lords Cricket Ground where the Olympic competition is being held.
“One of the major challenges for an archer is dealing with windy conditions,” Dr Park said.
“Arrows can be blown off course by wind, but if we can reduce the chances of this happening, even by a small amount, it is a major competitive advantage.”
The results of the testing allowed Dr Park to recommend an optimum arrow for outdoor target archery, along with various specialised arrow components to minimise wind drift.
“Through good engineering decisions we can gain a wind drift advantage over most competitors of about five per cent,” Dr Park said.