Design and development of test methodology for measuring hydrodynamic drag on fabric

Abstract

Swimming is an intense sport demanding strength, endurance, and technical proficiency, necessitates maximizing performance advantages. Usually, optimized swimwear reduces drag for the swimmers. To continually enhance swimwear performance, manufacturers invest in innovative materials and techniques. However, still the swimwear efficiency is debated among industry experts. The past research studies have consistently demonstrated that swimmers allocate over 90% of their efort to counteract hydrodynamic resistance, underscoring the critical importance of swimwear design in optimizing speed and achieving successful outcomes [1]. Drag force is the resistance that a fluid puts up against an object as it moves in the opposite direction, slowing down the motion [2]. Any object moving through a fluid at a relative velocity will experience the drag.