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SANTA
ANA, Calif.
-- May 31, 2001 --
MSC.Software Corp.
(NYSE: MNS), the
leading global
provider of
simulation software,
services and
systems, today
announced that
MSC.Patran was used
by researchers to
help solve the
mystery of ‘trick’
or ‘bending’ free
kicks in soccer.
Through the
collaboration of
three research
groups, researchers
at the University of
Sheffield's Sports
Engineering Research
Group, Yamagata
University's Sports
Science Laboratory
and Fluent were able
to simulate the
complex physics
acting upon the ball
and determine how
world-class soccer
players fool
defenders and
goaltenders with
kicks that change
trajectory in
mid-flight. Dr.
Takeshi Asai of the
Yamagata
University’s Sports
Science Laboratory
used MSC.Patran to
model the stress and
deformation of the
foot and ball as the
player strikes the
ball. This
simulation, combined
with the
computational fluid
dynamics research
done by Fluent and
wind tunnel and
trajectory modeling
done by the Dr. Matt
Carré of the
University of
Sheffield Sports
Engineering Research
Group, allowed the
research teams to
determine the actual
physics governing
free kicks in
soccer.
“The use of
simulation software
is continuing to
grow around the
world, especially in
industries like
sports and
recreation who
traditionally haven’
t used advanced
simulation to
understand how their
products really
function,” said
Frank Perna,
chairman and chief
executive officer of
MSC.Software. “We
are proud to be a
small part of this
research into soccer
ball flight and are
looking forward to
seeing these complex
physical
interactions on the
field during the
World Cup.”
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Soccerball
Windtunnel
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Smoke
Test
Soccer
Ball
Wake
Pathlines
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When a soccer ball
is traveling through
the air, its
trajectory is
influenced by a
number of factors,
including wind flow,
air speed and
pressure. As the
player strikes the
ball, the drag and
force experienced by
the ball strongly
influences its
trajectory,
especially if the
ball is spinning.
When a player
strikes the ball
attempting to induce
a shot that bends, a
reaction known as
Magnus Force causes
an imbalance of
pressure to occur.
This imbalance can
be so pronounced at
the end of a ball’s
flight that the
sideways ‘spin’
force and ‘drag’
force causes the
ball to alter its
trajectory
considerably near
the goal.
"The computer
modeling techniques
my group has
developed with
MSC.Patran will help
us design better
soccer boots in the
near term and
explain how a soccer
player's foot
deforms as it
interacts with the
ball,” said Dr.
Takeshi Asai of
Yamagata
University’s Sports
Science Laboratory.
“This has important
implications for
kicking techniques
and preventing
injuries to the foot
and improve the
overall
understanding of the
science of soccer.”
CFD
prediction of flow
separation pattern
behind a
non-spinning soccer
ball
“We believe that our
research into the
underlying physics
of soccer balls is
crucial to helping
us explain more
about soccer free
kicks than ever
before," said Dr.
Matt Carré from the
University of
Sheffield Sports
Engineering Research
Group. “The work we
are doing will lead
to insights that can
be applied to making
better soccer balls
and in improving the
techniques of young
soccer players.”
MSC.Software and
Fluent Inc.
All images and
animations Courtesy
of University of
Sheffield's Sports
Engineering Research
Group, Yamagata
University's Sports
Science Laboratory
and Fluent Inc. |
David Beckham's
Free
Kick-England vs.
Greece October
2001, Actual
Footage
David Beckham's
Free
Kick-England vs.
Greece October
2001, Animated
Footage
Trajectory
Charts of Kick
Foot Kicking
Ball, High Speed
Footage
MSC.Patran Model
of Foot
Kicking Ball
Animation
MSC.Patran
Skeletal Model
of
Foot Kicking
Ball Animation
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How to play soccer 
How to play soccer...
