Leiden University Student Repository

Fermin, Remko (2015)

Assessment of the sub-millimeter structure of ice surfaces during ice skating

Bachelor thesis | Natuurkunde (BSc)

An overview of the theoretical work done during the skating project is presented and an upper limit is derived for the presumed water layer under the skate. The skating set-up and its new additions are discussed. It has been found that the ice layer is not flat; it has bumps exceeding the height variations of the skate. The bums disappear during the skating. The bumps in the ice create cavities between the skate and the ice. Simulations indicate the presence of water in these cavities. This was not confirmed because the model used must be extended, to incorporate electrical interactions in the sample. The bumps in the ice layer seem to determine the location and size of the ’shoulders’ in the data. These are sudden in- or decrease of the output voltage. The eventual shape of the ’shoulders’ seems to be determined by the presence of water in the cavity between the ice and the skate. This to needs to be confirmed in a later stage of the skating project.

Skating

Ice

surface

Author

Fermin, Remko

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Supervisors

Oosterkamp, Tjerk

ECTS Credits

3

Language

en