This study aimed to quantify and investigate the effect of acceleration on fluid forces acting on a hand model. An accelerating hand in swimming generates large fluid forces in a stroke, although the effect of acceleration on fluid forces on the hand has not been well quantified. An experiment rotating a hand model in a flowing flume was conducted to measure fluid forces on the hand model and pressure on the hand surface. The effect of acceleration on fluid forces acting on the hand was quantified based on a theoretical understanding in fluid mechanics. Accelerated motion induced additional fluid forces on the hand, consistent with the theoretical understanding while decelerated motion induced additional fluid forces, not consistent with the theoretical understanding. Dynamic pressures measured were attributed to the formation of large vortices, inducing the additional fluid forces.
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