An investigation of parachute wake recontact using porous models
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Abstract
During a typical parachute deployment the morncntun1 transfer to the surrounding air accelerates the fluid in the direction of parachute travel. If the air is sufficiently accelerated to ovenake the parachute, a condition known as wake recontact may create a partial or total collapse of the canopy. In a previous study, two-dimensional, zero porosity, rigid parachute models were used to determine the circumstances under which wake recontact occurs. In the present study, the effects of canopy porosity on wake recontact are evaluated. The experimental parameters include parachute porosity, finalto- initial velocity ratio, and peak deceleration which can be related to an overall deceleration time. For each porosity, the domain of possible combinations of velocity ratio and deceleration time are divided into "safe" and "unsafe" operating regions based on the likelihood of the occurrence of wake recontact.