Abstract:
Boomerangs have captured attention because of
the mechanical structure that realises such complex movements
of the boomerang. The perfect prediction of the path leads to the
application of boomerangs in the field. The external
environment is always unsteady; therefore, the dynamics of
boomerangs should be studied in unsteady wind conditions. The
main aim of this research is to study the steady and unsteady
wind effects on the boomerang trajectory by developing an
unsteady input-based mathematical model. A traditional 'V'
shape boomerang is designed using CATIA V5, and 2D steady
state ANSYS Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation (CFD)
was performed to derive the aero dynamical coefficients of the
boomerang. Finally, the newly developed mathematical model is
numerically simulated using MATLAB. The trajectory of the
boomerang in different wind conditions is plotted and
compared. The results show that the steady and unsteady wind
highly influences the boomerang path. Results show the
capabilities of the model under both the steady and unsteady
flow of wind in predicting a boomerang trajectory.
Citation:
R. Rajathurai, K. J. C. Kumara and S. Baduge, "Flight Dynamics of A ‘V’ Shape Boomerang: Effect of Wind on Boomerang Trajectory," 2023 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 2023, pp. 54-59, doi: 10.1109/MERCon60487.2023.10355393.