Effect of Vortical flow in the Wake of a Badminton Shuttlecock on Flipping Motion

Abstract

The badminton shuttlecock (shuttle) is an unique airborne projectile which has a turnover stability. The angle of attack of the shuttle changes immediately after impact. The flipping shuttle shifts to stable flight in a very short time. The purpose of this study is to investigate the turnover stability of the shuttlecock during flip movements. In this study, the flipping motion was simulated by wind tunnel experiments, and the flow field around the shuttle was visualized by a smoke-wire method and a PIV technique. The experimental results show that the turnover stability is strongly affected by the vortex behavior in the wake of the shuttlecock.