Download or read book Development and Testing of a Steerable Cruciform Parachute System written by Shawn Malachy Herrington and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis focuses on the development of a parachute payload system which is capable of precision aerial delivery yet only represents a modest cost increase over ballistic unguided systems. In order to develop such a system, first a canopy is selected. The canopy should be simple and inexpensive to make; in this case a cruciform canopy was selected because this design is material efficient and requires far less labor to manufacture compared to parafoil parachutes. Next some method of stabilizing that canopy during flight must be proposed. In this case, the system heading is to be stabilized via a single actuator by asymmetric deflection of the leading edge of one canopy panel. At this stage in the development, a controller must be designed and implemented which stabilizes the system in the proposed way. Outdoor flight testing is the gold standard of parachute testing methodology since it offers the most realistic flight conditions. However, the unmeasured wind disturbances encountered in outdoor flight testing can confound results and interfere with repeatability of experiments. The first experiment explained in this thesis revolves around the testing of a steer able cruciform parachute system using a vertical wind tunnel. The primary goal of the experiment was to develop a heading stabilizing controller. Additionally, a closed-loop system model was identified and a technique was developed for estimating canopy glide ratio (GR). The vertical wind tunnel testing methodology is far faster and less expensive than the outdoor flight testing which would be needed to accomplish the same goals. After proving that a system can be steered via the proposed methodology, the next stage in the developing of a precision guided vehicle is to demonstrate that the stabilization technique is viable. This is accomplished in both outdoor flight testing and a simulation based on the closed-loop model identified earlier. Furthermore, the precision navigation potential of the system must be demonstrated; specifically, the system must be capable of arriving closer to the desired impact point on the ground than an unguided system dropped under the same conditions. The work described in this thesis has advanced the development of the steerable cruciform parachute system beyond the point of simply being a feasibility demonstrator. The vertical wind tunnel experiments demonstrated that the system heading could be stabilized and subsequent navigation experiments demonstrated that the system outperforms an unguided system during real drops. The work done to compare the effectiveness of different navigation strategies in a simulated environment represents the beginning of the next stage in the development of the parachute system. This next stage involves refinement and performance improvements of the existing platform through engineering design in order to advance the technical readiness level of the project.
Download or read book Para foil Steerable Parachute Exploratory Development for Airdrop System Application written by R. J. Speelman and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploratory development program was conducted to demonstrate an advanced aerial delivery concept of using a Para-Foil high glide steerable parachute, mated with electronic ground and airborne homing subsystems for controlled airdrop of 500 and 2000 pound payloads. The Para-Foil is a wing made entirely of fabric and having no rigid members. It has an upper surface, a lower surface and an airfoil cross section. The leading edge is open to permit inflation due to ram air. A series of wind tunnel tests with both rigid and flexible Para-Foil models was conducted to establish the effects on performance of various design parameters, to establish a performance baseline for the full scale Para-Foils, and to evaluate various reefing techniques. Configuration static tests were conducted to establish a Para-Foil suspension flare design. Cloth permeability and strength tests were conducted to evaluate candidate materials. The Para-Foil aerodynamic turn control characteristics were evaluated through truck tow tests and a series of free flight tests. Free flight tests were also conducted to verify system, performance and to evaluate automatic homing capability.
Download or read book Investigation of Various Textile Parachutes and Control Systems to Achieve Steerability Phase i written by V. F. Riley and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research program covers the detailed investigation of gliding parachutes and their necessary guidance and control systems to achieve a controlled approach to a touchdown at a preselected site. Theoretical and analytical investigations have been conducted to determine system feasibility and performance limits; and to establish the configuration of a flexible, self- inflating canopy capable of meeting the program objectives. A series of exploratory wind tunnel tests with small model steerable parachutes has been conducted to substantiate the findings of the analytical investigation and further define the detail design of the most promising configurations. Additional tests with large scale models in the form of tow tests, wind tunnel tests, and free-flight deployment tests, have been conducted to demonstrate aerodynamic characteristics; and to obtain essential data for use as design criteria for an integrated steerable parachute system. The results of this research program, reported herein, has culminated in the design of a flexible, self-inflating, steerable parachute canopy which has demonstrated in wind tunnel tests a maximum lift-to-drag ratio of 2:1; has been deployed in free-flight tests at velocities up to 150 knots; and has demonstrated a turn rate of approximately thirty (30) degrees-per-second.
Download or read book Para Foil Steerable Parachute Exploratory Development for Airdrop System Application written by Ralph J Speelman (III.) and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploratory development program was conducted to demonstrate an advanced aerial delivery concept of using a Para-Foil high glide steerable parachute, mated with ground and airborne electronics homing subsystems for controlled airdrop of 500- and 2000-pound payloads. The Para-Foil is a wing made entirely of fabric and having no rigid members. It has an upper surface and a lower surface and an airfoil cross section. The leading edge is open to permit inflation due to ran air pressure. A series of wind tunnel tests with both rigid and flexible Para-Foil models was conducted to establish the effects on performance of various design parameters, to establish a performance baseline for the full scale Para-Foils, and to evaluate various reefing techniques. The Para-Foil aerodynamic turn control characteristics were evaluated through truck tow tests and a series of free flight tests. Free flight tests were also conducted to verify system performance and to evaluate automatic homing capability. (Author).
Download or read book Steerable Parachute written by Isadore Rosenberg and published by . This book was released on 1955 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of the test program was to compare and evaluate the performance and operational characteristics of various steerable parachute designs developed for the Air Rescue Service. At the present time, the standard E-1 type steerable parachute assembly is considered unsatisfactory by the Air Rescue Service for reasons such as excessive oscillation, high rate of descent, and allied undesirable characteristics. A program was initiated by the Wright Air Development Center to develop a more suitable steerable parachute for use by the Air Rescue Service. Parachutes of six (6) different designs were submitted for test.
Download or read book Investigation of Various Textile Parachutes and Control Systems to Achieve Steerability Phases Iii and Iv Part Iii written by and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This program covers the detailed investigation of gliding parachutes and their necessary guidance and control systems to achieve a controlled approach to and touchdown at a preselected spot. Theoretical and analytical investigations and exploratory wind-tunnel and truck-tow tests were conducted to establish a flexible and self-inflatable canopy configuration capable of meeting the program objectives. Free-flight tests were conducted to demonstrate the performance of the selected configuration. This report documents the free-flight test phase of the program. Sixteen, 28 and 40 foot steerable parachute canopies were free-flight tested with suspended weights from 198 to 3865 lbs. to obtain deployment, inflation, and performance data. A flexible, self-inflating, steerable parachute was developed which demonstrated a maximum L/D of 2.1 in wind tunnel tests; has been deployed in free-flight tests in sizes up to 40 ft. D(W) at velocities up to 150 knots and altitudes up to 15,000 ft. and demonstrated excellent stability and controllability with turn rate up to 30 degrees per second.
Download or read book Design and Performance of a Parachute for the Recovery of a 760 lb Payload written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A 26-ft-diameter ribbon parachute deployed using a pilot parachute system has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the recovery of a 760-lb payload released at subsonic and transonic speeds. The wide range of deployment dynamic pressures led to the design, utilizing wind tunnel testing and computer simulation, of a unique pilot parachute system verified in full-scale flight tests. Performance data from 20 full-scale flight tests were used to evaluate system performance and structural validity. The concical ribbon parachute design chosen for this development effort follows the practice of previous Sandia National Laboratory parachute development programs for high performance airdropped payloads. The design process for this parachute system included a tradeoff study to evaluate and compare the performance between an equivalent drag area 26-foot-diameter single parachute system and a cluster system of three 14-ft-diameter parachutes. The results showed a small advantage for the cluster system in inflation and initial deceleration characteristics. However, the higher cost, higher weight, greater packing complexity and greater risk involved in the development of the cluster system outweighed the performance advantages and led to the choice of the 26-ft-diameter parachute as the baseline design for the development. This paper describes the design and performance of the 26-ft-diameter parachute which was chosen for the recovery of a 760-lb payload. The results of 20 full-scale flight test of this parachute system are summarized. 8 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.
Download or read book Development and Testing of a Drogue Parachute System for X 37 ALTV B 52H Separation written by National Aeronaut Administration (Nasa) and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-07 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technical Report Whitmore, Stephen A. and Cobleigh, Brent R. and Jacobson, Steven R. and Jensen, Steven C. and Hennings, Elsa J. Armstrong Flight Research Center NASA/TM-2004-212044, H-2552 WU 760-90-00-SE-53-00-37A X-37 VEHICLE; TEST VEHICLES; APPROACH AND LANDING TESTS (STS); B-52 AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT TESTS; STAGE SEPARATION; DRAG CHUTES; DRAG REDUCTION; HORIZONTAL FLIGHT; AERODYNAMIC LOADS; COST EFFECTIVENESS; VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION; AIR FLOW; TRANSFER ORBITS; ELASTOMERS; LOW TEMPERATURE
Download or read book The Design and Flight Testing of a High performance Low cost Parachute System for a 1000 Lb Payload written by V.L. Behr and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Development and Testing of a Drogue Parachute System for X 37 Altv B 52h Separation written by Stephen A. Whitmore and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-08 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multiple scenarios were identified in which the X-37 approach and landing test vehicle (ALTV) catastrophically recontacts the B-52H carrier aircraft after separation. The most cost-effective recontact risk mitigation is the prelaunch deployment of a drogue parachute that is released after the X-37 ALTV has safely cleared the B-52H. After release, a fully-inflated drogue parachute takes 30 min to reach ground and results in a large footprint that excessively restricts the days available for flight. To reduce the footprint, a passive collapse mechanism consisting of an elastic reefing line attached to the parachute skirt was developed. At flight loads the elastic is stretched, allowing full parachute inflation. After release, drag loads drop dramatically and the elastic line contracts, reducing the frontal drag area. A 50 percent drag reduction results in an approximately 75 percent ground footprint reduction. Eleven individual parachute designs were evaluated at flight load dynamic pressures in the High Velocity Airflow System (HIVAS) at the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), China Lake, California. Various options for the elastic reefing system were also evaluated at HIVAS. Two best parachute designs were selected from HIVAS to be carried forward to flight test. Detailed HIVAS test results are presented in this report.
Download or read book Test Fixture and Data Acquisition System for Wind Tunnel Testing of Parachutes written by Charles J. Silcot and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the analysis of the means of measuring the force and stability characteristics of flexible, steerable, gliding parachutes in the AFFDL 12-foot open-throat vertical wind tunnel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a system was designed, fabricated, installed, and tested for acceptance. This system consists of two major components: The first major component, a test fixture-balance assembly, provides the means of remotely operating model parachutes through various roll, pitch, and yaw angles. This assembly consists basically of a roll-traversing mechanism which supports a sting balance as it rolls and yaws along the inner perimeter of a semicircular trussed hoop. The hoop rests on a two-part structure designed for temporary installment above the tunnel lip. For the parachute attachment and positioning, the sting balance was selected in a preliminary study in preference to the wire or strut type of balance. The second major component, a data acquisition and readout system, displays and records in digital form the normal and axial forces and the moments at various canopy pitch, roll, and yaw attitudes. In the acceptance tests with a 9.375-foot steerable parachute canopy, lift, drag, and pitching moment were obtained at various angles of pitch and at air velocities ranging from 50 to 100 feet per second.
Download or read book Development and Testing of a New Reefing System to Reduce Parachute Opening Shock Characteristics During Seat Ejection written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report summarizes the initial testing of a new parachute slider reefing system to control the opening dynamics of the military C-9 parachute. It has been theorized that if one could control the opening of the parachute canopy used during emergency ejections, the parachute opening forces on the crewmember could he significantly reduced. The report addressed the reefing system modification and summarizes the initial testing results of the new slider reefing system to control the parachute opening dynamics.
Download or read book Design and Development of a Three stage Parachute System for Low level Deployment Up to Mach 1 2 written by William B. Pepper and published by . This book was released on 1967 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The design and development of a parachute system suitable for low-level release and high-velocity deployment are presented. Rocket-boosted field tests of the system along with theoretical trajectory studies indicate that the retardation system can successfully recover a 1300-pound test vehicle released from an aircraft flying at Mach 1.2 and 150 feet above the terrain.
Download or read book Symposium on Parachute Technology and Evaluation written by Earl C. Myers and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Development of a Parachute System for the High drag Bomb written by William M. Stirrat and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Results of a preliminary design study of a parachute for the high-drag bomb are given in this report, together with results of preliminary drop and whirl tower testing. Certain modifications of the parachute, based on the findings of these tests, are described. (Author).
Download or read book A Homing Parachute System written by Milton T. Kane and published by . This book was released on 1961 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The technological problems and practical engineering aspects associated with the design and testing of a homing parchute system are presented. This device consists of a solid, flat, circular parachute with an open gore which provides a horizontal thrust component, causing the parachute to glide. An electromechanical control system employing a direction-finding antenna is used to control the orientation of the open gore with respect to a ground transmitter so that the parachute glides toward the transmitter.
Download or read book Development Drop Test Results of the 15 ft dia Ribbon Parachute and 73 ft dia Cross Parachute for the US Army Natick Laboratory UHLCADS System written by William B. Pepper and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During 1984 a series of 12 drop tests was conducted at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground near Yuma, Arizona to develop a new system to recover a 2200-lb resupply container from high altitude. The parachute system consists of a 15-ft-dia ribbon parachute reefed for 10 s and a 73-ft-dia cross parachute with no reefing. The system has been successfully demonstrated by flight tests. The impact velocity is 30 fps.
