Drag coefficent of a person on a slide

[Uricucu]

Hi! Does anyone know what drag coefficient has a person in a water slide? I've only found for full vertical/horizontal body, but not for a person in a water slide, considering it has a slope. Related to that, the cross area of a person can be calculated?

Thanks.

 

[anorlunda]

That is a difficult question. People come in all shapes and sizes. They can sit or bend their bodies in many ways. I think the best you can hope for is a range of values and the extremes of the range may be the same as the full vertical/horizontal body that you already found.

I would try to contact the engineers who designed existing water slides, rather than asking general questions on the Internet.

 

[berkeman]

Does anyone know what drag coefficient has a person in a water slide?

Depending on what you want the number for, I'd just start by estimating the terminal velocity of people on water slides similar to what you have in mind. Just watch a few videos an estimate their velocity versus time as they start down the slide, and then reach terminal velocity before the bottom section...

 

[anorlunda]

Just watch a few videos an estimate their velocity versus time as they start down the slide, and then reach terminal velocity before the bottom section...

Oh, I like that. Much more practical and helpful than my reply.

 

[russ_watters]

Hi! Does anyone know what drag coefficient has a person in a water slide? I've only found for full vertical/horizontal body, but not for a person in a water slide, considering it has a slope. Related to that, the cross area of a person can be calculated?

I'd assume zero. It's probably not far from true and is the safest value you can assume.

 

[Uricucu]

That is a difficult question. People come in all shapes and sizes. They can sit or bend their bodies in many ways. I think the best you can hope for is a range of values and the extremes of the range may be the same as the full vertical/horizontal body that you already found.

I would try to contact the engineers who designed existing water slides, rather than asking general questions on the Internet.

Sure I have contacted some companies to know that kind of details and I have hardly received any response... it's a shame. I'll bet for the range you advised me, thanks.

 

[Uricucu]

Depending on what you want the number for, I'd just start by estimating the terminal velocity of people on water slides similar to what you have in mind. Just watch a few videos an estimate their velocity versus time as they start down the slide, and then reach terminal velocity before the bottom section...

Good idea, I will look for some popular slides and estimate the velocity, thanks!