Experimental Study of the Performance of Clustered Parachutes in a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel

摘要

Recent interest in clusters of parachutes prompted a review of cluster drag data and inflation characteristics. This examination indicated that very little well-documented data exist that are suitable for broad applications. A low-speed wind-tunnel test program was devised to measure the effects of variations in four important parameters on the terminal drag and stability of clusters of parachutes. The parameters studied were canopy number, canopy type, riser length, and reefing. Efforts were made to account for effects stemming from the experiment's design, especially wind-tunnel blockage. Many of the results of the wind-tunnel tests were validated by a series of drop tests. Terminal drag and stability data are presented here along with proposed explanations for observed phenomena. (ERA citation 11:011741)