| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 860983 | Procedia Engineering | 2012 | 6 Pages |
The aerodynamic behaviour of oval shaped sports balls especially Rugby ball is considered to be complex due to its physical shape. Although some experimental studies were undertaken on Rugby ball aerodynamic behaviour, scant information on computational aerodynamic study for Rugby balls is available in the public domain. The primary objective of this work is to undertake a computational study of a smooth surface Rugby ball and pimple surface Rugby ball aerodynamic properties and compare the findings with experimental data. Both experimental and computational studies were undertaken for a range of wind speeds and yaw angles. The average drag coefficient of the rugby at zero yaw was found by experimentally and computationally to be 0.18 and 0.15 and this rose to about 0.60 and 0.31 respectively when yawed at 90¼. The pimple caused slightly more drag at zero yaw angle compared to 90¼ yaw angle.
