In spite of the broad popularity of ice hockey, little has been done to characterize the performance of pucks or sticks used in play. Data representative of play conditions is particularly lacking. A high speed impact test was developed to measure the puck impact force and coefficient of restitution. Puck brand, temperature, and speed were all shown to have a measurable effect on the relative puck response. The high speed puck test was modified to measure the performance of hockey sticks. The performance of six wood and 11 composite sticks (including different shaft tapers for each group) were compared to evaluate the effect of modern materials on the game. Stick performance was expressed in terms of the maximum puck speed from an idealized slap shot model. In spite of the popularity of the relatively expensive composite sticks, on average the performance of the wood sticks was 10 % higher than the composite sticks. Shaft loading was found to increase the puck speed but did not significantly change the relative performance of the sticks. In contrast to balls in golf and baseball, puck hardness was shown to have a negligible effect on stick performance.
The Engineering Approach to Winter Sports presents the state-of-the-art research in the field of winter sports in a harmonized and comprehensive way for a diverse audience of engineers, equipment and facilities designers, and materials scientists. The book examines the physics and chemistry of snow and ice with particular focus on the interaction (friction) between sports equipment and snow/ice, how it is influenced by environmental factors, such as temperature and pressure, as well as by contaminants and how it can be modified through the use of ski waxes or the microtextures of blades or ski soles. The authors also cover, in turn, the different disciplines in winter sports: skiing (both alpine and cross country), skating and jumping, bob sledding and skeleton, hockey and curling, with attention given to both equipment design and on the simulation of gesture and track optimization.
Materials in Sports Equipment, Second Edition, provides a detailed review on the design and performance of materials in sports apparel, equipment and surfaces in a broad range of sporting applications. Chapters cover materials modeling, non-destructive testing, design issues for sports apparel, skull and mouth protection, and new chapters on artificial sport surfaces, anthropometric design customization, and 3D printing in sports equipment. In addition, the book covers sports-specific design and material choices in a range of key sports, from baseball, rowing, and archery, to ice hockey, snowboarding, and fishing. Users will find a valuable resource that explicitly links materials, engineering and design principles directly to sports applications, thus making it an essential resource to materials scientists, engineers, sports equipment designers and sports manufacturers developing products in this evolving field. Provides both updated and new chapters on recent developments in the design and performance of advanced materials in a number of sports applications Discusses varying aspects, such as the modeling of materials behavior and non-destructive testing Analyzes the aerodynamic properties of materials and the design of sports apparel and smart materials Explores new topics on athletic equipment, such as 3D printing and anthropometric design customization and on artificial sports surfaces
From carbon fibre racing bikes to ‘sharkskin’ swimsuits, the application of cutting-edge design, technology and engineering has proved to be a vital ingredient in enhanced sports performance. This is the first book to offer a comprehensive survey of contemporary sports technology and engineering, providing a complete overview of academic, professional and industrial knowledge and technique. The book is divided into eight sections covering the following topics : Sustainable Sports Engineering Instrumentation Technology Summer Mobility Sports Winter Mobility Sports Apparel and Protection Equipment Sports Implements (racquets, clubs, bats, sticks) Sports Balls Sports Surfaces and Facilities Written by an international team of leading experts from industry, academia and commercial research institutes, the emphasis throughout the book is on innovation, the relationship between business and science, and the improvement of sports performance. This is an essential reference for anybody working in sports technology, sports product design, sports engineering, biomechanics, ergonomics, sports business or applied sport science.
Learn the science behind what makes hockey so great! Ever wonder why hockey players tape their sticks? Or why they freeze pucks before a game (they do, you know)? From how pucks slide, to why sticks break, and which angle will get the puck where you want it to go, Hockey Science is a fun exploration of the science behind the great sport of hockey. Join mad scientists Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone, the creators of Scary Science and Snowy Science, as they go behind-the-scenes of our country's favourite sport with their usual sense of humour and wonder. Each page is full of fun experiments that budding hockey players can try on their own -- on or off the ice!
A dynamical system, an ensemble of particles, states of which evolve over time, can be described using a system of ordinary/partial differential equations (ODEs/PDEs). This dissertation presents fundamental investigations of the analysis and algorithms for the study of dynamical systems, by parametrizing, optimizing and customizing. We develop and/or implement numerical algorithms, for solving ODEs/PDEs, and statistical/machine-learning algorithms based on data, for physical inference and prediction. We further apply the methodologies on sled hockey, an adaptation of stand-up hockey, allows people with physical disabilities to participate in the game of ice hockey. First, we develop and implement numerical algorithms to study the nonlinear dynamics described by 4th-order nonlinear PDEs. The non-linear solvers apply multidimensional Newton's method with a Jacobian-free approach and a generalized conjugate residual (GCR) approach. Applying the algorithms on the study of elastic systems, we investigate dynamics of hockey sticks as in a striking implement. We develop a mathematical model using an Euler-Lagrange equation to characterize the behavior of a hockey stick in the linear regime, and then apply this model to investigate the dynamic response of the stick throughout slap shots and wrist shots. We apply a modal decomposition method and decouple the resultant dynamics into kinetic and potential components. We further optimize the structures based on the dynamical analysis. Throughout testing with both elite and amateur sled hockey players, we find that final puck velocities with our prototype stick are on average over 10% higher compared to those achieved with commercially available sticks. Second, we investigate the dynamics of rigid system as in an over-constrained implement. We propose two sets of dynamical modelling for the hockey sled using a trajectory-based modelling method and a state-space-based modelling method, which are used to study the dynamics of the propulsion for linear motion and of the tip-over and reset. We further propose a constrained optimization problem to optimize the Third, we develop and implement statistical and machine learning algorithms based on data, including algorithms of clustering for physical inference, algorithms of regression for Stribeck curve and algorithms of forecasting for wear rate. In the context of tribology of ice-metal contact, we design an experimental system to mimic the ice rink environment and to expand the experimental study of the friction coefficient in an extensive range of Hersey number from 10−13 to 10−4. To build the understanding of the physics of friction, we perform a dimensional analysis and an asymptotic analysis for three regimes of friction - boundary friction regime, mixed friction regime, and hydrodynamic lubrication regime. We further develop a pipeline for creating the modified Stribeck curve based on data, after feature extraction, the regime of each experimental result is identified via clustering, followed by the regression constrained by the asymptotic analysis. Finally, we propose a methodology and algorithm to predict the wear rate subject to geometric constraints.
This book describes the physics of baseball and softball, assuming that the reader has a basic background in both physics and mathematics. The physics will be explained in a conversational style, with words and illustrations, so that the explanations make sense. The book provides an excellent opportunity to explain physics at a relatively simple level, even though the primary objective is to explain the many subtle features concerning the physics of baseball. For those readers who already know quite a bit of physics and who will be comfortable with mathematical equations, additional material of this nature will be provided in appendices. The latest research findings and statistical data have been incorporated by the author. The book also contains many simple experiments that the reader can perform to convince themselves that the effects described do indeed exist.
"This publication, Safety in Ice Hockey: Fourth Volume, contains a collection of research papers presented at the Fourth Symposium on Ice Hockey held 5-6 May 2002 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the standards development meetings of Committee F08. This symposium was the fourth in a series: the first being held in 1987 in Montreal, the second in 1992 in Pittsburgh, and the third in 1997 in St. Louis. The objective of the symposium and corresponding publications has been to review the current state-of-the-art and science of ice hockey injury prevention."
