In this blog post, we will look at how thermodynamics, dynamics, solid mechanics, and fluid mechanics are applied to sport through the Winter Olympic events.
On 20 February 2022, the Olympic Games came to a close in Beijing, China. The sweat and tears of many athletes moved countless people. There are many reasons why people are moved by the Olympics. The thrilling competition, individual efforts, and challenges against one’s limits are just some of the many dramatic elements of the Olympics that capture the attention of people around the world. Engineers can find even more inspiration in sports. Through engineering analysis, we will examine how athletes efficiently use the laws of physics and how engineering technologies help them compete, using the four fundamental principles of mechanical engineering.
The first of the four fundamental mechanics, thermodynamics is the study of the relationship between energy and motion. In particular, it views heat as a form of energy and understands how it relates to motion. Most Winter Olympic events are performed on ice while wearing skates, and the principles of skating can be explained by thermodynamics. When wearing narrow skates on ice, high pressure is applied to the ice under the skate blades. This pressure causes the melting point to change, and even at sub-zero temperatures, the heat generated is sufficient to melt the ice. Through this change in state caused by energy, the ice under the skate blades turns into water, allowing the skates to slide.
Dynamics is the study of the motion of objects based on Newtonian mechanics, including the forces acting on objects and the direction and rotation of objects. Curling is the most representative example of this. Curling is a sport in which granite stones weighing about 20 kg, called ‘stones,’ are slid across an ice rink and placed in a designated target area. In competition with the opposing team, players can devise strategies such as pushing the opponent’s stones away from the target or obstructing their path, and all of these processes can be explained through dynamics. Curling is broadly divided into two types of movements: the delivery, in which the stone is pushed forward, and the sweeping, in which the stone is brushed in front of it. In the delivery, accuracy depends on the posture used to adjust the rotation and direction of the stone, making it possible to avoid or collide with the opponent’s stone. Sweeping also controls the friction and rotation of the stone’s expected path, allowing for ideal collisions between stones.
Solid mechanics is the study of how the shape of an object changes due to external forces. A typical example is skeleton. Skeleton is an official Winter Olympic sledding event, along with bobsleigh and luge, in which a single person lies face down on a sled and races down a track. Unlike other events, the risk of injury is extremely high, and it was not adopted as an official event for a long time, but it was finally adopted as an official event at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Due to the nature of skeleton, the force is often concentrated on the front half of the sled, which increases the risk of fatigue failure. Fatigue refers to the increase in the fatigue of a material due to repeated impacts, which eventually causes the material to break even with low impact forces. To minimise the risk of fatigue, the bumper is designed to dent and absorb as much of the impact energy as possible. This is common to all other sledding events, and the denting minimises the impact on the rider.
Fluid dynamics is the study of the motion of fluids such as liquids and gases. Speed skaters’ uniforms are famous for not having any seams. This is to minimise air resistance and improve their times. In addition, the uniforms are designed to make it easy for the skaters to bend their heads forward to minimise air resistance.
All of these are examples of how fluid dynamics influences sports. With a basic understanding of these principles, you will be able to enjoy the Olympics even more. Not only in the Winter Olympics, but also in many other sports, scientific techniques are being incorporated into sports science and sports mechanics. If you are a sports fan, why not take a look at the fascinating world of mechanical engineering?
