Experimental validation of a tennis ball finite-element model for different temperatures

An explicit finite-element (FE) model of a pressurised tennis ball was produced in Ansys/LS-DYNA 10.0 and validated at room temperature. This model was successfully updated to simulate temperatures of 283.15 and 313.15 K (10 and 40 ºC), by adjusting the internal pressure and material properties of the ball’s rubber core. The validation experiment was undertaken using an impact rig in a climate chamber, for perpendicular impacts on a rigid surface with inbound velocities in the range from 15 to 30 m·s-1. The impact rig consisted of an air-cannon, for firing the balls, a set of light gates for calculating coefficient of restitution (COR), and a force plate for measuring contact time. The model was found to be in good agreement with the experimental data across the entire range of temperatures tested.