Influencia de los Parámetros Geométricos de un Tenedor de Bicicleta en su Desempeño Aerodinámico

Abstract

In this paper we present the results of a numerical study to determine the influence of some geometrical parameters on the drag and lift coefficients for two commercial geometries of road bicycle forks. The computational model was validated by a comparison of the drag and lift coefficients obtained with it against available data in the literature for a canonical case i.e., flow around a cylinder. The proposed base computational model was able to predict values of drag and lift coefficients with errors values under 5.07%. The results obtained from the validation process confirm that the base computational model proposed predicts the expected von Kármán vortex pattern. This model was used to predict the flow behavior through the selected fork geometries. For both geometries, values of drag and sustentation coefficients, as well as modes of oscillation are presented. From the results obtained, a new geometry for the bicycle’s fork is proposed.