Abstract
In this study, flow around a peloton, which is comprised of five sports cycles, and the fluid force acting on each cycle are numerically investigated using OpenFOAM. To carry out the study, we first created 3D model of certain sports cycle with its rider on using Kinect for Windows which is capable of measuring distance to the object with infrared ray as well as capturing an image. This allowed us to construct completely original and reliable 3D model which was later used as each member comprising the peloton. Then, numerical simulations were performed under the condition that the peloton is traveling at speed of approximately 40 km/h. Following results were found. (1) The drag force is reduced because of significant reduction of pressure acting on the cyclist's front due to the presence of the preceding cyclist. (2)The forward force caused by the backflow behind the leading cyclist acts on the cyclist's back, reducing the drag. These reveal the drag force is drastically minimized when locating at the end of the peloton.
