Fluid Mechanics Seminar presents Barry Bixler of Chandler, Arizona. Honeywell Aerospace Principal Engineer
Engineering Design and Analysis of the Speedo FSII Swimsuit
The design of fullbody swimsuits, first introduced to the world by Speedo, has continued to evolve using advanced engineering test and analysis methods. This talk presents the techniques used to develop the Speedo FSII swimsuit, the most successful swimsuit of last summer's Greece Olympics. The FSII swimsuit was developed using technology from the Hollywood movie industry, from aerospace Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis tools (CFD), and from a significant amount of experimental testing in a water flume. Laser scans of two Olympic swimmers were used to make accurate full-scale submersible mannequins in the shape of their bodies, and also to create CFD models of the same swimmers. The CFD models were analyzed for passive drag, and the swimmers and their corresponding mannequins were then tested in a water flume where drag was measured. Testing and analysis drag values compared very well. Details of the analysis and test results will be presented, and swimsuit models will be demonstrating some of the design features of the suit. One of the suits modeled actually has the skin friction contours from the CFD analysis embedded into the fabric.
Bio: As a Principal Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace, Barry Bixler develops aircraft jet engines. But as a “swim dad” he has combined his technical expertise with an interest and knowledge of swimming to become a recognized leader worldwide in the application of mainstream engineering techniques to swimming research. He has been awarded research contracts by USA Swimming and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and is frequently asked to review papers and proposals submitted to national swimming organizations around the world. He is also a regular reviewer for several journals such as the Journal of Swimming Research and the Journal of Biomechanics. He is a major contributing author to the 2004 Edition of the Olympic Handbook of Sport Medicine (Swimming volume), sponsored by the IOC, and is often invited to speak at technical and “executive” conferences.
Barry's swimming research includes both CFD analysis and experimental testing. His initial CFD research involved the analysis of the propulsive forces generated by a swimmer's hand and arm, where he determined the effects of velocity, acceleration, and arm position on swimmer propulsive force. This led to more advanced research at Speedo, where he has worked as a consultant for the last six years. As head of testing and analysis for Speedo, he was responsible for the hydrodynamic design, analysis, and testing of the Speedo FSII swimsuit prior to the Athens Olympic Games.