Recent advances in structural modeling of parachute dynamics

Gupta, Manish; Xu, Zhenlong; Zhang, Wenqing; Accorsi, Michael L.; Leonard, John L.; Benny, Richard; Stein, Keith

doi:10.2514/6.2001-2030

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…A parachute is a complex aero elastic body with tensile elasticity and porosity [16]. Generally, the canopy is considered as continuous membranous-materials, which have small thickness and large deformation fabric.…”

Section: Structural Dynamics Calculation Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on transient aerodynamic characteristics of parachute opening process

Xiao

2007

Acta Mech. Sin.

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In the research of parachute, canopy inflation process modeling is one of the most complicated tasks. As canopy often experiences the largest deformations and loadings during a very short time, it is of great difficulty for theoretical analysis and experimental measurements. In this paper, aerodynamic equations and structural dynamics equations were developed for describing parachute opening process, and an iterative coupling solving strategy incorporating the above equations was proposed for a small-scale, flexible and flat-circular parachute. Then, analyses were carried out for canopy geometry, time-dependent pressure difference between the inside and outside of the canopy, transient vortex around the canopy and the flow field in the radial plane as a sequence in opening process. The mechanism of the canopy shape development was explained from perspective of transient flow fields during the inflation process. Experiments of the parachute opening process were conducted in a wind tunnel, in which instantaneous shape of the canopy was measured by high velocity camera and the opening loading was measured by dynamometer balance. The theoretical predictions were found in good agreement with the experimental results, validating the proposed approach. This numerical method can improve the situation of strong dependence of parachute research on wind tunnel tests, and is of significance to the understanding of the mechanics of parachute inflation process.

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Section: Structural Dynamics Calculation Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on transient aerodynamic characteristics of parachute opening process

Xiao

2007

Acta Mech. Sin.

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“…5 More recent efforts by Zhu, Moreau, Accorsi, Leonard, and Smith as well as Gupta, Xu, Zhang, Accorsi, Leonard, Benney, and Stein have incorporated parafoil structural dynamics into the dynamic model of a parachute and payload system. 6,7 A significant amount of literature has been amassed in the area of experimental parafoil dynamics beginning with Ware and Hassell who investigated ram-air parachutes in a wind tunnel by varying wing area and wing chord. 8 More recently extensive flight tests have been reported on NASA's X-38 parafoil providing steady-state data and aerodynamics for large-scale parafoils.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Measured and Simulated Motion of a Controllable Parafoil and Payload System

Slegers

Costello

2003

AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference and Exhibit

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“…Parafoil systems have been used for several years on airplanes to deploy supplies in remote areas safely to the ground (Gupta et al, 2001). Parafoils are compact and similar to currently used parachutes on regular radiosondes, but with additional control over the descending direction.…”

Section: Parafoil Guiding Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Return glider radiosonde for in situ upper-air research measurements

Kräuchi

Philipona

2016

Atmos. Meas. Tech.

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Abstract. Upper-air balloon soundings for weather predictions have been made since the beginning of the 20th century. New radiosonde instruments for in situ humidity-, radiationand gas-profile measurements in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere, were introduced in recent years for atmospheric research and climate monitoring, but such instruments are often expensive and it is desired they be reused on multiple flights. Recovering instruments that freely descend with parachutes is time consuming, sometimes difficult and even dangerous. Here, we introduce the return glider radiosonde (RGR), which enables flying and retrieving valuable in situ upper-air instruments. The RGR is lifted with weather balloons similar to traditional radiosondes to a preset altitude, at which time a release mechanism cuts the tether string, and a built-in autopilot flies the glider autonomously back to the launch site or a desired preprogrammed location. Once the RGR reaches the landing coordinates it circles down and releases a parachute 100 m above ground for landing. The motivation for this project was to measure radiation profiles throughout the atmosphere with the same instrument multiple times and with a rapid turn-around time. The paper describes technical aspects of the return glider radiosonde and the built-in radiation instruments and shows test flights up to 24 km altitude that are analyzed in terms of flight performance and maximal distances covered. Several successive flights measuring radiation profiles demonstrate the reliability and the operational readiness of the RGR, allowing new ways for atmospheric in situ research and monitoring with payloads up to several kg depending on the specific size of the glider.

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Recent advances in structural modeling of parachute dynamics

Cited by 10 publications

References 5 publications

Study on transient aerodynamic characteristics of parachute opening process

Study on transient aerodynamic characteristics of parachute opening process

Comparison of Measured and Simulated Motion of a Controllable Parafoil and Payload System

Return glider radiosonde for in situ upper-air research measurements

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