美国数学建模竞赛特等奖论文——2001 A O Selection of a Bicycle Wheel Type【数学建模】.pdfVIP

Selection of a Bicycle Wheel Type 225 Selection of a Bicycle Wheel Type Nicholas J. Howard Zachariah R. Miller Matthew R. Adams United States Military Academy West Point, NY Advisor: Donovan D. Phillips Introduction We present a model that compares the performance of various wheels over a user-determined course. We approach the modeling problem by beginning with Newtonís Second Law of Motion: The sum of the forces acting on an object equals the mass of that object multiplied by its acceleration. We identify the four principal forces that contribute to a cyclistís motion: applied force, drag force, gravity, and rolling resistance. We further classify drag force into three components: the cyclist and bicycle frame, the front wheel, and the rear wheel. Drag force is dependent on a cyclistís velocity, and the force of gravity is dependent on a cyclistís position. Thus, our force equation is a function of cyclist position and cyclist velocity. We can then arrange Newtonís Second Law to yield a second-order differ- 2 2 ential equation. Given position S, velocity dS/dt, acceleration d S/dt , mass m, and a force function F , the differential equation is d2S F S, dS dt . = dt2 m To implement our model, we created a computer software program that allows a user to input numerous pieces of data, including course layout, eleva- tion profile, wind, weather conditions, and cyclist characteristics. The software iterates the differential equation using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The software reports the preferred wheel choice based