Analysis of the Opening Dynamics of Solid Flat and Ringslot Parachutes with Supporting Wind Tunnel Experiments

摘要

The equations of motion for parachutes inflating under finite mass conditions in a horizontal flow wind tunnel are established and organized in view of the nonsteady terms of canopy size, velocity, included and apparent masses, and the time derivatives of these terms. Wind-tunnel experiments with solid flat and ringslot parachutes are described, the results of which yield graphical and numerical time functions for the terms of the derived equation of motion. The wind-tunnel results are compared with full-size test information and certain identities are shown. The numerical functions are substituted in the equation of motion and force-time histories are calculated.