|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
__0.
Introduction
|
There are at least four uses of the term 'Go-Faster Stripes':
| 
|
So how do the stripes (or strips) work? One possibility is that the strip acts like a trip wire which induces turbulence on the rear-side of the skater and detaches the laminar boundary layer air pattern attached to the skater's backside at a lower speed than normally required. [The trip wire effect is discussed on this page -- see esp. Figure 4.] Then again, the Dutch strips have some similarity with the aerodynamic features called 'Riblets' which are discussed next. In section 6. the vortex generator effect will be discussed and this is probably strongly related to the effectiveness of the Dutch Strips.
The figure above shows the effects of riblets on turbulence. Simulations of turbulence over surfaces mounted with streamwise riblets on the SDSC supercomputer. Colors indicate the instantaneous magnitude of the streamwise component of the velocity; the highest values occur in the middle of the channel. The mean flow is from left to right, and the turbulence is fully developed and statically steady at Reynolds number (based on flow rate) of 3,500. Computed turbulence intensities indicate that the reduction of fluctuations near the wall with riblets (bottom) results in a 6% drag reduction in this geometry. Data by Catherine H. Crawford, Ronald D. Henderson, and Karniadakis.
In 1987 the America's Cup was being held. One of the contestants was Dennis Connor with his ship The Stars and Stripes. At that time 3M had alreadey been working on the a tape, called the Scotchcal Marine Drag Reduction Tape. The concept of this tape was to reduce the frictional drag caused by turbulent flow in water. To accomplish this 3M designed a tape with small grooves in it. The tape was applied to The Stars and Stripes and effectuated a reduce of drag of 4%. This resulted in an increase of speed by 1-2% or decrease in elapsed time of 1-2%. [ For a 6 minute (360 second) race which approximates a 5000 meter speedskating race this works out to 3.6-7.2 seconds advantage. So riblets give about the same range of advantage claimed for 'Go-Faster Stripes'.]
The Scotchcal Marine Drag Reduction Tape, or more popularly known as "Riblets", is nominally 0.007 inches (0.18mm) thick. It must be applied with the grooves parallel to the water flow pattern past the hull surface. It's very important to get this exactly right otherwise the effect will be counter effective. 3M advises to consult the boat builder for the water flow pattern of the boat.
After the success with the Stars and Stripes, 3M started to test the tape on airplanes. Together with Boeing, British Aerospace and Airbus International they redesigned the tape for planes. Apparently this worked even better than on boats. An effective 4-6% improvement in fuel mileage was the result.
Although the whole project with the Riblets has great potential, 3M has decided not to market the tape for now. The manufacturing of the tape is very expensive and the projects with Boeing, Airbus and British Aerospace are not yet in the stage that 3M actually sold any of the tape. So for now there is no money being invested in the tape. This means that the Riblets tape is *not* available with your local 3M dealer and probably won't be for quite some time.
The application of the tape on The Stars and Stripes had some side effects because the other contestants complained about the unfair advantage. The ruling by the organisation of the America's Cup was in their favor and the tape was indeed adjudged an unfair advantage because of the price and the unavailability to the other boats.
There has been considerable study into the riblet-like texture of shark skin. One of the qualitative findings is that the dimentions of these riblets, from one species to another, depended on how fast that type of shark usually swims. The shark skin riblet was naturally customized to ensure optimum drag reduction.
Although the egg shape of a skier's body in a "tuck" position is very streamlined and makes excellent use of these fast fabrics, the legs and arms of the skier are outside of this egg, and travel through the air as "bluff" objects. These "bluff" objects create a "wake" in the surrounding layer of air, which is felt by the skier as wind resistance and instability.
Spyder's SPEEDWYRE®, when properly positioned, has a streamlining effect on these "bluff" objects, reducing their drag coefficient by anywhere from 15% to 23% at Slalom and GS speeds, and potentially as much as 40% at Super G and DH speeds. As a fortunate coincidence, SPEEDWYRE® can also increase heat transfer away from the athlete by as much as 11%, which has widespread applications outside of ski racing.
In a sport where less than a second can be the difference between being
a national hero and being left behind, it's safe to say that SPEEDWYRE®
will move the sport to the next level.
BOULDER, COLORADO -- December 6, 1996 -- Spyder Active Sports, Inc., founded by Canadian National Champion David L. Jacobs, today unveiled revolutionary racing technology in the race suits the company provides to the United States Ski Team -- technology that significantly reduces the wind resistance of the human body at speeds ranging from those of a casual runner to the high velocities of a downhill skier.
The U.S.S.T. has been using Spyder's SPEEDWYRE® technology since last January at the World Alpine Skiing Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, when the race suits were first tested. U.S. Women's Team members captured gold, bronze and fifth place in the downhill at the World Championships, the Team's best overall finish of the season and the first-ever U.S. gold medal in the downhill at the World Championships.
Unlike other advances in outerwear that focus on smooth materials to reduce the drag coefficient, SPEEDWYRE technology incorporates a "trip wire" into the surface of the suit. By properly folding the downhill ski suit material and stitching a seam along the length of the fold, a perfectly dimensioned "wire" is formed along the seam. The proper placement of these "wires" on the legs and arms of the suit significantly reduces wind drag.
"SPEEDWYRE has been in wind-tunnel and on-snow testing now for more than a year in a wide range of applications," said Jacobs, who was Canadian National Downhill Champion in 1957 and is the founder/president of Spyder. "We knew we were on to something, but we had no idea the results of our tests would be so successful.
"We truly believe that SPEEDWYRE could be the most significant breakthrough in ski racing technology in the past 30 years," Jacobs added.
Part of the beauty of SPEEDWYRE is that it can be applied inexpensively to a variety of existing materials or newly developed products. Thinner materials can have a cord sewn into a fold, while for thicker materials, a cord can be sewn onto the material.
The SPEEDWYRE technology was developed by Spyder with the assistance of Littleton, Colorado-based Dragon Engineering, which consulted with Spyder in the research, development and testing of the SPEEDWYRE technology.
Extensive aerodynamic testing verified optimum locations for the placement of the SPEEDWYRE on the suits and accurately quantified drag reductions on the downhill suits when the suits were on a mannequin. The test results showed that the drag forces were reduced by as much as 40 percent.
Dr. Michael Holden, an aerodynamics expert and longtime consultant of the U.S. Ski Team with more than two decades of experience in the area of drag reduction on ski racers, witnessed the initial tests of the SPEEDWYRE design, and said he was "astounded with the test results. Many others have tried unsuccessfully to attain this magnitude of drag reduction."
Spyder downhill suits constructed with the SPEEDWYRE technology can provide a significant improvement in race times and stability, thus enhancing the skier's overall performance. Nineteen ninety-six World Alpine Championships downhill gold medalist Picabo Street, bronze medalist Hilary Lindh and fifth place finisher Megan Gerety all requested and wore suits with the SPEEDWYRE technology for their history-making runs at Sierra Nevada last January.
"There's no question in my mind that this technology has significantly improved the overall performance of all the skiers who have tried it," said Paul Major, U.S. Skiing Athletic Director. "During the past eight years, Spyder has made a number of significant contributions to the U.S. Ski Team. From a performance standpoint, the introduction of SPEEDWYRE technology may have the most impact of any of these contributions."
How SPEEDWYRE technology works is surprisingly simple. All objects moving through air have a thin layer, called the boundary layer, surrounding them. These objects are categorized as either "bluff" or "streamlined." Bluff, or blunt objects create large wakes behind them that in turn create greater drag. Streamlined objects create smaller wakes and therefore less drag.
SPEEDWYRE technology actually serves as a mechanism that reduces the size of the wake behind a bluff object such as a leg or an arm, creating a more streamlined flow around the object simply by placing a protruding seam or "wire," in optimal positions on the front of the leg or arm.
"All I know is that it works," said Picabo Street. "You can actually feel the difference in wind drag from a suit without this technology to a suit with SPEEDWYRE."
All of Street's and the U.S.S.T.'s Spyder downhill suits for the 1996-97 season, and both downhill and giant slalom suits for the 1997-98 season, will incorporate the SPEEDWYRE technology. Spyder believes that the marketing potential for this new product in a variety of sports is virtually limitless. The technology has proven to be effective at a range of speeds acquired by mountain and road cyclists, speed skaters, nordic skiers, runners and numerous other athletes.
What's more, SPEEDWYRE technology has also proven to increase heat transfer away from the body; thus an athlete, such as a runner or a cyclist, using this invention would feel as though he or she were performing at 80 degrees on a 90-degree day.
"Amazingly, our tests have shown that an athlete stays cooler wearing a suit utilizing this technology than if they performed in the same conditions with exposed skin," said Eric Eagen of Dragon Engineering.
"SPEEDWYRE actually provides an 11-percent increase in heat transfer," added Jeff Rogers, Eagen's partner at Dragon Engineering. "This increased heat transfer has enormous performance implications for athletes who need to stay cool to perform at peak levels. What's more, research has shown that the design can be optimized to achieve heat transfer increases of up to 30 percent. "
Following the 1996-97 World Cup season, Spyder is planning to market SPEEDWYRE technology to performance sportswear manufacturers worldwide.
Beginning as a small mail order business in 1978, and proud sponsor of the U.S. Ski Team for more than eight years, Spyder is now a multi-million dollar leader in award-winning technical skiwear. With 30 full-time employees, 10 U.S. sales representatives and 10 international distributors, Spyder is sold throughout the U.S. and in over 20 countries worldwide.
SPEEDWYRE® is revolutionary technology developed during 1995 and 1996 by Spyder Active Sports, Inc. of Boulder, Colorado, supplier and sponsor of the United States Ski Team and Littleton, Colorado-based Dragon Engineering.
How SPEEDWYRE technology works is surprisingly simple. All objects moving through air have a thin layer, called the boundary layer, surrounding them. These objects are categorized as either "bluff" or "streamlined." Bluff, or blunt objects create large wakes behind them that in turn create greater drag. Streamlined objects create smaller wakes and therefore less drag.
SPEEDWYRE is not a new fabric or material. Unlike other advances in outerwear that focus on smooth materials to reduce drag coefficient, SPEEDWYRE incorporates a "trip wire" into the surface of the suit. By properly folding the suit material and stitching a seam along the length of the fold, a perfectly dimensioned "wire" is formed along the seam. The proper placement of these seams on the legs and arms of the suit significantly reduces wind drag. With additional research, it is believed that further drag reductions could be realized by applying the SPEEDWYRE technology to the torso.
SPEEDWYRE technology actually serves as a mechanism that reduces the size of the wake behind a bluff object such as a leg, arm or torso, creating a more streamlined flow around the object simply by placing a protruding seam or "wire," in optimal positions on the front of the leg or arm.
SPEEDWYRE has been in wind tunnel testing and on-snow testing for more than a year in a wide range of applications and is believed to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in ski racing technology in the past 30 years.
SPEEDWYRE reduces wind drag by as much as 40 percent, an astounding achievement when compared to the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team's bicycle used during the velodrome competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. After investing $2 million in development costs, that bicycle was reported to have achieved a 1-pound drag reduction, which was heralded as a significant breakthrough. Drag reductions greater than this can be realized simply by applying the SPEEDWYRE technology to a single leg.
Spyder downhill suits constructed with SPEEDWYRE technology can provide a significant improvement in race times and stability by reducing the size of the wake created by the human body as it passes through the air.
SPEEDWYRE was used by members of the U.S. Women's Ski team during the
1996 World Alpine Ski Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. The team,
led by Picabo Street's gold medal, placed first, third and fifth in the
downhill, the team's best overall finish of the season. At the 1997 World
Alpine Ski
Championships in Sestrieres, Italy, Hilary Lindh won the gold medal in
the DH by .06 seconds - she was
wearing SPEEDWYRE!
SPEEDWYRE applications go beyond ski racing to sports such as sprint and distance running, all types of cycling, speed skating and many others, and provides other additional benefits beyond reducing drag.
SPEEDWYRE technology has also proven to increase heat transfer away from the body. Tests have shown that an athlete stays cooler wearing a suit utilizing this technology than if they performed in the same conditions with exposed skin. SPEEDWYRE actually provides an 11-percent increase in heat transfer. Thus, an athlete such as a runner or a cyclist using this invention would feel as though he or she were performing at 80 degrees on a 90 degree day.
This increased heat transfer has enormous performance implications for
athletes who need to stay cool to perform at peak levels. Research has
shown that the design can be optimized to achieve heat transfer increases
of up to 30 percent.
BOULDER, COLORADO -- (July 10, 1997) -- In a sudden move, the International Ski Federation (FIS), sanctioning body of competitive ski racing, has modified its rules, effectively banning Spyder's SPEEDWYRE® technology. In a recent meeting, the predominantly-European group voted to change clothing regulations regarding competitive race suits after a complaint from the Italian Ski Team. Effective immediately, Spyder's patented SPEEDWYRE® technology will not be allowed on suits used in FIS-sanctioned races. The decision is being appealed.
"This decision is a typical unilateral European power play to prevent any American advantage," says David Jacobs, President and founder of Spyder. "Our SPEEDWYRE® suits have passed every current FIS rule; one complaint and they change the rules." The timing of the decision couldn't have come at a worse time - the FIS move was made after the suits had been produced and were awaiting delivery. As a result of the FIS action, the SPEEDWYRE® DH and GS suits which Spyder is set to debut this fall at the retail level, may not be used in FIS sanctioned races, severely affecting the sale of these suits.
The SPEEDWYRE® technology was developed by Spyder with the assistance of Littleton, Colorado-based Dragon Engineering, which consulted with Spyder in the research, development, and testing. Unlike other advances in racewear that focus on smooth materials to reduce the drag coefficient, SPEEDWYRE® technology incorporates a "trip wire" into the surface of the suit. By folding the downhill ski suit material and stitching a seam along the length of the fold, a perfectly dimensioned "wire" is formed along the seam. The strategic placement of these "wires" on the legs and the arms of the suit significantly reduces wind drag. Tests have shown that drag forces can be reduced by as much as 40 percent with the application of SPEEDWYRE® technology.
The U.S. Ski Team began racing in SPEEDWYRE® suits
in November, 1995. In the 1996 World Alpine Ski Championships in Sierra
Nevada, Spain, U.S. Ski Team members captured gold, bronze, and fifth place
in the women's downhill. At the 1997 World Alpine Ski Championships in
Sestriere, Italy, Hilary Lindh won gold in the women's downhill by .06
seconds. At the Switzerland summer FIS meeting, representatives from Italy
voiced a complaint about Lindh's SPEEDWYRE® suit used in the 1997 World
Championships, claiming that the SPEEDWYRE® technology gave Lindh an
unfair advantage.
A decision was made by the FIS council, which includes only one American representative, to immediately change the rules regarding competition wear in FIS sanctioned races. The new rule states that no folds or tucks of fabric are allowed on the race suits and declares that no aerodynamic improvements are to be allowed to the suit.
Spyder's appeal may take months, as the next meeting of the FIS council is in October.
BOULDER, COLORADO -- December 17, 1997-- Spyder Active Sports recently received notification that two patents will be issued for its revolutionary new technology in athletic apparel, SPEEDWYRE®. The patents were granted in the areas of aerodynamic drag reduction and heat dissipation - two key components in athletic performance.
SPEEDWYRE technology is relatively simple to understand. All objects moving through the air have a thin layer of air, called the boundary layer, surrounding them. The SPEEDWYRE causes the air in this layer to become turbulent which creates a more streamlined and aerodynamic flow.
Developed during 1995 and 1996 by Spyder Active Sports, Inc., of Boulder, Colo., supplier and sponsor of the United States Ski Team, and Dragon Engineering of Littleton, Colo., SPEEDWYRE is a "trip wire" that is incorporated into the surface of a suit or garment. SPEEDWYRE is simply a cord or seam of specific dimensions and location, which is easily and inexpensively fixed to the suit material. The proper placement of SPEEDWYRE on the legs, arms and torso of a suit results in a significant reduction in aerodynamic drag, improved flow stability and increased heat transfer.
Objects moving throught the air are categorized as either
"bluff" or "streamlined." The human body is made up
of a conglomeration of "bluff" objects such as an arm, leg, or
torso. SPEEDWYRE technology actually serves as a mechanism to reduce the
size of the wake behind these "bluff" objects simply by placing
a protruding seam or "wire" in optimal positions on the front
of the leg or arm, thus creating a more streamlined flow around the object.
Through wind-tunnel testing and on-snow results for more than a
year, SPEEDWYRE was proven to reduce wind drag by as much as 40 percent.
It is considered to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in athletic
performance technology in the past 30 years.
In addition to its proven ability to reduce wind drag,
SPEEDWYRE was also proven to increase heat transfer away from the body
which has significant performance implications for athletes who need to
stay cool to perform at peak levels. Again, the secret to improving the
heat transfer lies within the boundary layer. SPEEDWYRE excites and mixes
the air flow in this thin layer, allowing for a greater amount of heat
to be dissipated from the body to the surrounding air. Tests have shown
that an athlete stays cooler wearing a suit utilizing this technology than
in the same conditions with exposed skin (no garment).
Research has shown that SPEEDWYRE technology can be optimized
to increase heat transfer by as much as 30 percent allowing athletes to
perform at peak levels for longer periods without heat exhaustion.
SPEEDWYRE was originally used by the members of the U.S. Women's Ski Team during the 1996 World Alpine Ski Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. The team, led by Picabo Street's gold medal, placed first, third, and fifth in the downhill, the team's best overall finish of the season. The following year, Hilary Lindh's significant .06 second win to capture the downhill gold medal, at the 1997 World Alpine Ski Championships in Italy, brought instant focus on SPEEDWYRE and its use in her downhill suit.
Following the win at the World Championships in 1997, the Italian Ski Team protested the use of SPEEDWYRE technology in downhill ski suits because it provided the Americans with an unfair advantage. As a result of Italy's protest, the International Ski Federation (FIS), sanctioning body of competitive ski racing, modified its rules and banned Spyder's SPEEDWYRE technology, despite the fact that the technology could be made available to all competitive racing ski teams and their clothing manufacturers. This ban gives tribute to the technology's performance enhancement potential.
"The decision is typical of the unilateral European power play that exists to prevent any American advantage," said David Jacobs, president and founder of Spyder. "Our SPEEDWYRE suits passed every existing FIS rule; one complaint and it changes the rules," Jacobs added.
While the ban on SPEEDWYRE for FIS sanctioned ski races is a dissapointment, the opportunities that exist in non-FIS sanctioned races and other sports fields are tremendous, particularly for events that involve speeds greater than 10 miles per hour. Due to the relative simplicity of the SPEEDWYRE technology, the applications are virtually limitless and could have a significant impact on athletic performance in a variety of sports applications, including track & field, road cycling, cross-country skiing, track cycling, mountain biking, speed skating, in-line skating, and water skiing, to name a few. This revolutionary technology incorporates two advantages which will boost athletic performance to a new level: aerodynamic drag reduction and heat dissipation.
BOULDER, COLORADO -- February 9, 1998 -- The United States Speed Skating Team is using SPEEDWYRE®, a revolutionary drag-reduction technology, in its long and short track racing suits in competition during the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
Banned for use in International Ski Federation (FIS) sactioned ski racing competition in 1997, SPEEDWYRE was originally used by members of the U.S. Women's Ski Team during the 1996 World Alpine Ski Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. The team, led by Picabo Street's gold medal, placed first, third, and fifth in the downhill, the team's best overall finish of the season. The following year, Hilary Lindh's significant .06 second win to capture the downhill gold medal at the 1997 World Alpine Ski Championships in Italy, brought instant focus on SPEEDWYRE and its use in her downhill suit.
Following the win at the World Championships in 1997, the Italian Ski Team protested the use of SPEEDWYRE technology in downhill ski suits because it provided the Americans with an unfair advantage. As a result of Italy's protest, the FIS modified its rules and banned Spyder's SPEEDWYRE technology, despite the fact that the technology could be made available to all competitive racing ski teams and their clothing manufacturers.
Nick Thometz, director of the U.S. Speed Skating Team, commissioned Spyder to place SPEEDWYRE on all of the team's long and short track racing suits after learning about the advantages - aerodynamic drag reduction and heat dissipation - it could offer the team during competition. "We are very excited about this partnership," said David Jacobs, president and founder of Spyder. "The opportunities that exist for SPEEDWYRE in non-FIS sanctioned races and other sports fields are tremendous, particularly for events that involve speeds greater than 10 miles per hour such as speed skating," Jacobs added.
In light of the FIS ban on SPEEDWYRE, Thometz contacted the International Skating Union (ISU), sanctioning body of competitive skating, regarding approval of SPEEDWYRE's use during competition in this year's Olypmic Games. To date, the ISU has not expressed objections to SPEEDWYRE's use during competition.
Mizuno, manufacturer of the U.S. Speed Skating Team's racing suits, also was contacted by Thometz for approval on SPEEDWYRE's use. Mizuno consented to its use, but released responsibility from Mizuno as they are not a licensed user of SPEEDWYRE technology. Spyder has no official involvement with the U.S. Speed Skating Team.
Developed during 1995 and 1996 by Spyder Active Sports, Inc. of Boulder, Colo., supplier and sponsor of the United Stes Ski Team, and Dragon Engineering of Littleton, Colo., SPEEDWYRE is a "trip wire" that is incorporated into the surface of a suit or garment. Simply a cord or seam with specific dimensions and location, SPEEWYRE is easily and inexpensively fixed to the suit material. The proper placement of SPEEDWYRE on the legs, arms, and torso of a suit results in a significant reduction in aerodynamic drag, improved flow stability, and increased heat transfer.
Spyder recently was granted two patents for SPEEDWYRE, to be issued within the next 60 days, in the areas of aerodynamic drag reduction and heat dissipation. SPEEDWYRE is available for licensing to manufacturers worldwide. Patent protection is being sought throughout the world.
| 
|
