Parametric modelling of badminton rackets coupled with Finite Element Analysis

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Finite Element Analysis is widely used in sports equipment design process. In badminton, an impact analysis has been carried out by coupling the racket and string surface. Recently an application of parametric CAD to structural optimisation process has been reported. However, the effect of parametric changes in racket geometry on stiffness is yet reported. Some of these difficulties would lie in how to represent the geometry by parameters and how to automate the meshing and boundary condition setting processes. Particulay in sports equipment, the shape itself acts as a functional component and even small changes in shape can affect the players’ sensory perception. Thus, precise shape modelling is required. This study focuses on the design process of badminton rackets with differently characterised cross-sections and face geometries; the effects of shape morphing on the in-plane longitudinal and crosswise bending properties were determined.