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Another Bobsled Accident, FEA Simulation of Whistler's Bobsled Track?

Posted by Scott Sweeney on Fri, Feb 19, 2010
  
  
  
  
  
  
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AP Photo

So, there is news today that another Bobsledder has been hospitalized from yet another crash on the Whistler Bobsled track at the Vancouver Olympics.

Before the start of the Olympics, the course was touted as the fastestest Bobsled track in the world.  Here is a description out of Sports Illustrated online:

Vancouver bobsled Preview - Sports Illustrated

 "To add to the speed and violence, the course in Whistler is far and away the fastest one in the world, thanks in part to a steep top section that includes a 20-degree drop at curve two. Curve 13 was dubbed the "50/50 curve" after a day of course testing last year when only half the teams made it through right side up. If you're the type who watches NASCAR secretly anxious to see a crash, this might be the year for you to check out bobsled."

It makes me wonder if anyone actually simulated the course using Finite Element Analysis?  Now I know that the simulation is only as good as the person doing the analysis, but wouldn't your think this would have shown a few issues, especially with the steel beams that are exposed on the most dangerous part of the track?

If we have any physics or any FEA guru's reading this I'd love to hear your feedback on this. 

By the way, we will be announcing a new FEA partner soon.  I am sure you will be pleased with this new relationship.

As always, thank you for reading and your comments.


Scott

 


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Comments

What has finite element analysis got to do with track design? The problems I see with this track relate to transitions that are sudden from curve section to box section with apparently little consideration to the rate of rotation at transition. If you are not sure what I mean, imagine if you were driving along a curve on the freeway and when it straightened out, the superelveation (banking) suddenly changed to normal crossfall. Huge rate of rotation euals not comfortable and an accident waiting to happen. 
 
 
 
You can see it in all the sleds that are rocketing around the corners, then suddenly drop into the flat bottom straights and bump over to the other side of the track. It is poorly designed and no amount of FEA will assist that design.  
 
The corrections required relate to providing adequate transitions from curve to straight and checking the rate of rotation.
Posted @ Thursday, February 25, 2010 7:45 AM by Al Tad
Al, thanks for your comment. My thought was that if you used multi-physics to simulate the bobsled careening down the track at full load that it might have allowed them to know in advance how dangerous it was. I realize that this simulation would be quite large and take some computing power. But maybe all you really need to do is look at the track and see the exposed beams (that they covered up) to know that it is quite dangerous! 
Thanks again for your comment.
Posted @ Friday, March 05, 2010 3:04 PM by Scott Sweeney
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