Egor Gladkov

This paper is concerned with the motion of heavy toroidal bodies in a fluid. For experimental purposes, models of solid tori with a width of 3 cm and external diameters of 10 cm, 12 cm and 15 cm have been fabricated by the method of casting chemically solidifying polyurethane (density 1100 kg/m³). Tracking of the models is performed using the underwater Motion Capture system. This system includes 4 cameras, computer and specialized software. A theoretical description of the motion is given using equations incorporating the influence of inertial forces, friction and circulating motion of a fluid through the hole. Values of the model parameters are selected by means of genetic algorithms to ensure an optimal agreement between experimental and theoretical data.