Influence of Fabric Differences in Clothing’s Different Parts on Aerodynamic Performance of Ski Jumping during Flight

Objective: To Investigate the influence of the fabric differences in clothing's different parts on aerodynamic performance of ski jumping during flight, so as to provide reference for the development of high-performance ski jumping clothing. Methods: The three-dimensional geometric model and mesh model of an excellent ski jumper in a typical posture were established using the computational fluid dynamics(CFD). The SST k-ω turbulence model was employed to solve RANS equation and calculate the aerodynamic characteristics of ski jumping during flight. Results: 1) The general law of the pressure distribution was similar on limbs and trunk with different clothing fabrics. The high pressure area was mainly concentrated on the upper body, hip joint, and knee joint, especially on shoulder; while the low pressure area was mainly concentrated on the side of the body. 2) No matter which kind of flight phase combination, the pressure distribution on the upstream side was relatively concentrated. The lift drag ratio could reach the maximum when the trunk's fabric was 4# and the limbs' fabric was 1#. Conclusion: 1) Fabric differences in clothing's different parts has significant impact on the aerodynamic performance during flight. 2) In this study, the aerodynamic performance of Whole Athlete/Skis System was optimal when the trunk's clothing fabric was 4# and the limbs' clothing fabric was 1#, this kind of fabric matching can be used in competitions. 3) The CFD method which was used in this study can provide effective auxiliary support for the selection of clothing materials and personalized customization.