Textured Athletic Panel for Drag Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Athletes participating in high-speed events face challenges in reducing drag forces, particularly pressure drag, which cannot be effectively mitigated by conventional training or apparel, especially in sports where non-essential garments are prohibited.

Innovation Solution

A garment with a panel encircling an appendage, featuring textured regions that transition the flow pattern from laminar to turbulent, utilizing surface textures such as horizontal, vertical, or diagonal ridges to reduce drag by altering the boundary layer flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional smooth apparel is used, then frictional drag is reduced, but pressure drag remains high due to non-streamlined athlete body shape

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefrictional dragVSAvoidpressure drag

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The apparel applies different surface properties to different regions: smooth surfaces in areas where frictional drag dominates (limbs) and rough surfaces in areas where pressure drag is significant (torso, head). This localized differentiation allows simultaneous optimization of both drag components without requiring complete body streamlining.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of following conventional wisdom that smooth surfaces always reduce drag, the invention applies rough surfaces to specific body regions to trip the boundary layer and reduce pressure drag. This inversion of the conventional smooth-surface approach achieves drag reduction through turbulent flow control rather than laminar flow maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If athlete assumes crouching position to reduce frontal area, then pressure drag is reduced, but frictional drag increases due to surface contact with fluid

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure dragVSAvoidfrictional drag

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The apparel maintains smooth surfaces on limb regions where frictional drag is significant, allowing the athlete to adopt more aggressive crouching positions without excessive frictional penalty. The rough surfaces are concentrated on the torso and head where pressure drag reduction from position changes is most beneficial.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of energy

If smooth surface is used on entire body, then frictional drag is minimized, but pressure drag cannot be effectively reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefrictional dragVSAvoidoverall drag reduction effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The apparel combines different surface texture materials or treatments in a single garment system - smooth fabric regions and rough fabric regions - to create a composite surface profile that optimizes both frictional and pressure drag reduction, achieving superior overall drag reduction compared to uniformly smooth or uniformly rough surfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The textured panel reduces drag by minimizing the wake area and pressure imbalance, leading to improved performance times by decreasing the drag force experienced by athletes, as demonstrated in wind tunnel tests.

Implementation Method 1

the texture configured to transition a flow pattern of the oncoming fluid from laminar flow to turbulent flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBoundary layer transition: Boundary Layer

Implementation Method 2

transition a flow pattern of the oncoming fluid from laminar flow to turbulent flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Data Source

PatentUS8745769B2Apparel with reduced drag coefficient

Publication Date: 2014.06.10 NIKE INC

AI summary

An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.