| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/D002893/1 |
| Title: |
Curling, Olympic training and ice friction fundamentals |
| Principal Investigator: |
Blackford, Dr JR |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Department: |
Sch of Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Edinburgh |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 April 2005 |
Ends: |
31 August 2005 |
Value (£): |
26,036
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Eng. Dynamics & Tribology |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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At the Turin Olympics in February 2006 the British Women's Olympic Curling Team will defend the gold medal they won at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Our programme will vastly improve the training regime of both the Men's and Women's Olympic teams and increase their chances of victory at the 2006 Olympic Games. The sport of curling revolves around friction on ice, which has quite a quirky nature. Unlike friction on other surfaces, like carpet or wood, friction on ice changes with the velocity of the sliding object. This is because the heat produced by the rubbing motion of the sliding object melts the surface of the ice and produces a layer of lubricating water. The heat produced is the same as that produced when you rub your hands together on a cold day; the faster you rub the warmer your hands become. Likewise, an object sliding faster over ice produces more heat, and therefore more lubricating fluid so the friction is reduced. We have developed a computer model that shows that the velocity dependence of friction on ice is responsible for the curved motion of curling stones.Another factor that is important to ice friction is the temperature of the ice. Friction decreases as the temperature of ice approaches its melting point (0? C), because more lubricating melt water is produced by the same amount of heat from rubbing. Curlers use this to change the paths of curling stones by vigorously sweeping and adding their own heat from rubbing to the ice. Stones that have their paths swept can travel around three metres further, which is critical in a target-based game such as curling. The amount of heat from sweeping varies depending on the amount of downward pressure the curlers apply and the velocity of their sweeping action. The interplay between velocity, downward pressure and the heat produced is a complex one and has never been studied in relation to sweeping in curling. We have developed special brush called a 'sweep ergometer' that can measure the downward pressure and velocity applied by a curler and the temperature increase that they achieve while sweeping. We will use this to monitor each curler's performance during training and develop an ideal sweeping technique to maximise the effect that sweeping has on a stone's path. Results from the sweep ergometer combined with measurements of the paths of curling stone will be used to improve our computer model, making it possible to predict where and when it is best to sweep. This work will be carried out during the 2005 spring training programme allowing an improved training regime to be in place for the critical 8 months leading up to the Turin Winter Olympics.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ed.ac.uk |