An Improved Scaling Law for Determining Stiffness of Flat, Circular Canopies

Abstract

The scaling of parachute canopy fabric stiffness is important if wind tunnel model or drop test data are to be used to predict full-scale parachute performance. The use of scale models in development testing is desirable because they can save significant cost and time in the development cycle. Theories for parachute opening dynamics, dimensional analyses and test data were reviewed to determine the effects of parachute canopy scale and stiffness on the opening characteristics. Based on this work, a new relative stiffness index for parachute canopies has been developed. This index gives good data correlation for parachute opening time for solid flat circular canopies over a wide range of canopy diameters and fabric areal densities. This relative stiffness index will make it possible to use scale model wind tunnel and drop test data with more confidence than in the past. PARACHUTE CANOPIES, PARACHUTE OPENING DYNAMICS, SCALE MODELS, FLAT PLATE CANOPIES, FLEXURAL STRENGTH, SCALING, PARACHUTE OPENING, STIFFNESS, FLEXURAL RIGIDITY.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA251384

Entities

People

  • Eugene E. Niemi Jr.

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Diameters
  • Differential Equations
  • Drop Tests
  • Elastic Properties
  • Froude Number
  • Mechanics
  • Models
  • Modulus Of Elasticity
  • Parachute Canopies
  • Parachute Fabrics
  • Parachutes
  • Rigidity
  • Scale Models
  • Scaling Laws
  • Stiffness
  • Stress Strain Relations
  • Wind Tunnels

Readers

  • Aerial Delivery - Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Regression Analysis.
  • Structural Dynamics.