# -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ Computes the trajectory of a stitched baseball with air drag. Takes altitude into account (higher altitude means further travel) and the stitching on the baseball influencing drag. This is based on the book Computational Physics by N. Giordano. The takeaway point is that the drag coefficient on a stitched baseball is LOWER the higher its velocity, which is somewhat counterintuitive. """ from __future__ import division import math import matplotlib.pyplot as plt from numpy.random import randn import numpy as np class BaseballPath(object): def __init__(self, x0, y0, launch_angle_deg, velocity_ms, noise=(1.0,1.0)): """ Create baseball path object in 2D (y=height above ground) x0,y0 initial position launch_angle_deg angle ball is travelling respective to ground plane velocity_ms speeed of ball in meters/second noise amount of noise to add to each reported position in (x,y) """ omega = radians(launch_angle_deg) self.v_x = velocity_ms * cos(omega) self.v_y = velocity_ms * sin(omega) self.x = x0 self.y = y0 self.noise = noise def drag_force (self, velocity): """ Returns the force on a baseball due to air drag at the specified velocity. Units are SI """ B_m = 0.0039 + 0.0058 / (1. + exp((velocity-35.)/5.)) return B_m * velocity def update(self, dt, vel_wind=0.): """ compute the ball position based on the specified time step and wind velocity. Returns (x,y) position tuple. """ # Euler equations for x and y self.x += self.v_x*dt self.y += self.v_y*dt # force due to air drag v_x_wind = self.v_x - vel_wind v = sqrt (v_x_wind**2 + self.v_y**2) F = self.drag_force(v) # Euler's equations for velocity self.v_x = self.v_x - F*v_x_wind*dt self.v_y = self.v_y - 9.81*dt - F*self.v_y*dt return (self.x + random.randn()*self.noise[0], self.y + random.randn()*self.noise[1]) def a_drag (vel, altitude): """ returns the drag coefficient of a baseball at a given velocity (m/s) and altitude (m). """ v_d = 35 delta = 5 y_0 = 1.0e4 val = 0.0039 + 0.0058 / (1 + math.exp((vel - v_d)/delta)) val *= math.exp(-altitude / y_0) return val def compute_trajectory_vacuum (v_0_mph, theta, dt=0.01, noise_scale=0.0, x0=0., y0 = 0.): theta = math.radians(theta) x = x0 y = y0 v0_y = v_0_mph * math.sin(theta) v0_x = v_0_mph * math.cos(theta) xs = [] ys = [] t = dt while y >= 0: x = v0_x*t + x0 y = -0.5*9.8*t**2 + v0_y*t + y0 xs.append (x + randn() * noise_scale) ys.append (y + randn() * noise_scale) t += dt return (xs, ys) def compute_trajectory(v_0_mph, theta, v_wind_mph=0, alt_ft = 0.0, dt = 0.01): g = 9.8 ### comput theta = math.radians(theta) # initial velocity in direction of travel v_0 = v_0_mph * 0.447 # mph to m/s # velocity components in x and y v_x = v_0 * math.cos(theta) v_y = v_0 * math.sin(theta) v_wind = v_wind_mph * 0.447 # mph to m/s altitude = alt_ft / 3.28 # to m/s ground_level = altitude x = [0.0] y = [altitude] i = 0 while y[i] >= ground_level: v = math.sqrt((v_x - v_wind) **2+ v_y**2) x.append(x[i] + v_x * dt) y.append(y[i] + v_y * dt) v_x = v_x - a_drag(v, altitude) * v * (v_x - v_wind) * dt v_y = v_y - a_drag(v, altitude) * v * v_y * dt - g * dt i += 1 # meters to yards np.multiply (x, 1.09361) np.multiply (y, 1.09361) return (x,y) def predict (x0, y0, x1, y1, dt, time): g = 10.724*dt*dt v_x = x1-x0 v_y = y1-y0 v = math.sqrt(v_x**2 + v_y**2) x = x1 y = y1 while time > 0: v_x = v_x - a_drag(v, y) * v * v_x v_y = v_y - a_drag(v, y) * v * v_y - g x = x + v_x y = y + v_y time -= dt return (x,y) if __name__ == "__main__": x,y = compute_trajectory(v_0_mph = 110., theta=35., v_wind_mph = 0., alt_ft=5000.) plt.plot (x, y) plt.show()