Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Trajectory analysis based on aerodynamic characteristics of baseball with accelerating motion

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Visualization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We conducted an experimental and numerical trajectory analysis of the baseball and investigated the aerodynamic characteristics acting on the baseball. The optical images of the ball released from the pitching machine are taken by the high-speed camera and the translational and rotational motions of the ball are measured using image processing. In the numerical analysis, the flow field around the ball is assumed to be the ideal fluid and the motion of the sphere without the seam is computed. We compared the aerodynamic characteristics of the baseball with those of the seamless ball used in lacrosse to investigate the effects of the seam to the motion of the baseball. The experimental results showed that those effects induced the gaps of the forces acting on the ball and of the trajectories between them. Although the aerodynamic coefficients are measured under the steady flow conditions, in general, they are modified by the parameters for the unsteady flow resulting in the differences between the experimental and the numerical results. The drag coefficient of the ball with accelerating motion is greater than that of the ball with uniform speed.

Graphical Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aoki K, Kinoshita Y, Nagase J, Nakayama Y (2003) Dependence of aerodynamic characteristics and flow pattern on surface structure of a baseball. J Vis 6(2):185–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Himeno R (2005) Computational study of influences of a seam line of a baseball on flows. Notes Numer Fluid Mech Multidiscip Des 90:125–140

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Mehta RD (1985) Aerodynamics of sports balls. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 17:151–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakamoto S, Hasegawa J, Tada T, Naruo T, Mizota T (2011) Wind tunnel testing of new ball, US and Japanese baseball balls. In: Proceedings of sports and human dynamics, 2011

  • Yokoyama Y, Takami K, Tanaka J, Miyazaki T, Himeno R (2009) Effect of seams on the aerodynamical properties of a hard baseball. In: Proceedings of the 40th JAXA workshop on investigation and control of boundary-layer transition, pp. 71–74

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toyo University, Kawagoe, 3508585, Japan

    T. Nosaki

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyo University, Kawagoe, 3508585, Japan

    N. Fujimatsu

Authors
  1. T. Nosaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. Fujimatsu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. Fujimatsu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nosaki, T., Fujimatsu, N. Trajectory analysis based on aerodynamic characteristics of baseball with accelerating motion. J Vis 19, 283–290 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12650-015-0312-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12650-015-0312-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation