Comparison of Aerodynamic Properties of Badminton Feather and Synthetic Shuttlecocks

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference in aerodynamic properties between the feather shuttlecock and the synthetic shuttlecock. In particular, we focus on the aerodynamic stability of the two types of shuttlecock during impulsive change of an angle of attack (flip movement). Wind tunnel experiments are performed by using two types of the badminton shuttlecock (feather and synthetic shuttlecocks) to measure the fluid forces, and to visualize the flow fields around the shuttlecock. It is confirmed that the pitching moment coefficient at a near-zero angle-of-attack for feather shuttlecock is larger than that for synthetic shuttlecock. The results indicate that the feather shuttlecock demonstrates high stability in response to the flip phenomenon.

Keywords

• badminton shuttlecock
• wind tunnel experiment
• aerodynamic stability
• fluid forces