Computational Investigation on the Wake Flow of a Hemispherical Parachute Canopy
Abstract
A computational investigation on a rigid and periodic oscillating hemispherical canopy at a Reynolds number equal to 30,000 was initially explored to compare to that of the archival experimental work of a water tunnel-tested flexible parachute canopy. The wake flow of the computational study was compared to experimental data. Specifically, the effect of an upstream payload, turbulence model (i.e., unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes [RANS] and several versions of Hybrid RANS-large eddy simulation models), canopy permeability, and prescribed oscillation of the canopy shape on the development of the flow structures in the wake were considered. The predicted drag coefficients for all configurations do not compare well to those of the flexible canopy; however, they match well to literature on rigid hemispherical cups. Modeling both upstream forebody and canopy motion was shown to be most effective in reducing the size and structure of the wake. Moreover, the time-averaged flow solution of the wake for the periodic oscillating canopy with an upstream forebody compared best to the wake of the flexible parachute canopy. Furthermore, the advanced turbulence models were able to resolve the flow structures present in the wake quite well. The results indicate that the dynamics associated with a flexible canopy directly affect the aerodynamic properties as well as wake flow. Future efforts will focus on fluid-structure interactions, specifically, simulating a flexible canopy through the use of a coupled fluid dynamics-structural dynamics code.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1057846
Entities
People
- Joseph D. Vasile
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory