PhD Studentship: Cycling Aerodynamics: Impact of Fabric Design

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship to investigate the influence of fabric design on the aerodynamic drag of elite cyclists. The project will be jointly funded by Loughborough University and Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Whilst most of the research will be conducted at the University a portion of the work will also be conducted in close collaboration with Tudor Pro and their partners.

At speeds typical of pro-cyclists, the aerodynamic drag is the major force the rider must overcome and reducing this is crucial to maximise speed for a given rider power. However, cycling aerodynamics is complex and difficult to characterise due the effects of Reynold number, surface roughness, boundary layer transition, flow separation and turbulent wakes. It is well known that cyclists’ apparel can significantly affect drag due to, for example, surface texture or weft/weave on certain fabric designs. Consequently, the use of so-called skinsuits is common to maximise performance. However, the knowledge base on this is limited. This is not just restricted to understanding the effect of fabric design but also how the aerodynamics interacts as a system with different riders, bikes, speeds. Ultimately, the lack of fundamental knowledge means final designs are often trial and error and no robust predictive design tool exists.

The doctoral research will use a combination of wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to build a clearer understanding of the fundamental fluid mechanics. This will be coupled to fabric and rider specific parameters to predict and realise consistent drag reduction in race situations. The overarching aim is to establish a workflow for the rapid prototyping of design for system optimisation.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be a cycling enthusiast and be motivated to develop a career in the cycling industry. They will need to have studied fluid mechanics and/or aerodynamics, as part of an engineering degree, and have some experience of the use of wind tunnels and CFD (preferably as part of an individual project).

As part of the applied aerodynamics group, the successful candidate will have access to the large open circuit wind tunnel at Loughborough University and advanced measurement techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) as well as high performance computing and CFD simulation packages. As appropriate, they may need to develop or implement new measurement or modelling techniques.

They will also work alongside the sponsor Tudor Pro Cycling, use the wind-tunnel facilities at Silverstone Sport Engineering Hub and, if required, travel to with the team to collect data. It is expected that throughout the project the researcher will present work both to the industrial sponsor, their partners and at international academic conferences.  

The studentship is for 3 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £19237 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at the UK rate. Due to funding restrictions, this is only available to those eligible for UK fees.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. University fees and charges can be paid in advance and there are several methods of payment, including online payments and payment by instalment. Fees are reviewed annually and are likely to increase to take into account inflationary pressures.

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