ÑÇÖÞ²ÊƱ¹ÙÍø

Wind tunnel Barbie a whole new drag act

Monday, 22 May 2000

Riding your bike in a wind tunnel can be a real drag at times: just ask international toy icon Barbie.

Wind Tunnel Barbie is the brainchild of ÑÇÖÞ²ÊƱ¹ÙÍø University researchers looking to improve the aerodynamics of a life-sized bicycle to be entered in the 2001 World Solar Cycle Challenge from Alice Springs to ÑÇÖÞ²ÊƱ¹ÙÍø.

Staff from the University's Mechanical Engineering, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and Civil & Environmental Engineering Departments have joined forces with two of ÑÇÖÞ²ÊƱ¹ÙÍø's brightest Year 12 students to prepare an entry for the challenge.

Project coordinator Mr Stanley Woithe said tests on Wind Tunnel Barbie formed a vital part of preparing an entry in the A-class section of the challenge. A-class bikes are only allowed a small section of aerodynamic shaping (known as fairing) at the front of the bike.

"Many previous fairing designs suffer unexpectedly high drag in side-winds," Mr Woithe said. "The students will be designing a fairing that provides low drag under a broad range of wind angles. It is expected that the fairing will be a significant departure from earlier designs."

Barbie and her bike represent a one-fifth scale model of the real thing, and were chosen for the task for a number of reasons, Mr Woithe said.

"Barbie and the bicycle are the ideal size for the wind tunnel, and all the components - bicycle, doll helmet and so on - were ready-made," he said. "Barbie also has free-moving joints that allow her to be mounted in the correct position."

The two students - Paul Quast from Thomas More College and Andrew Smart from Urrbrae Agricultural High School - are working with ÑÇÖÞ²ÊƱ¹ÙÍø University staff through the CSIRO Student Research Scheme 2000.

The goals of the scheme are to provide students with quality research experience; increase the number of quality students taking up science and engineering careers; and to alert students, parents and teachers to the vital contribution of scientific and engineering research to the Australian community.

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