High-speed, low-altitude payload delivery using a single large ribbon parachute
A 46.3-ft-dia 20-degree conical ribbon parachute has been designed to retard a 2200-lb payload delivered at speeds up to 800 KCAS and at altitudes as low as 150 feet above ground level. The parachute uses both Kevlar and nylon materials, some of which were developed specifically for this parachute. The canopy design incorporates a patented construction geometry to minimize stress concentrations. A cluster of three 3.8-ft-dia ribbon parachutes is used to deploy the main parachute in the presence of severe aircraft flow field effects and large payload angles of attack. The results of over 30 full-scale flight tests indicate that fundamental limitations imposed by the dynamics of the air masses inside and behind the canopy determine the ultimate performance of a single large parachute when it is used at a release altitude of 150 ft.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 5506326
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-83-2013C; CONF-8304129-1; ON: DE84002731
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 8. AIAA conference on aerodynamic decelerator and balloon technology, Hyannis, MA, USA, 2 Apr 1983; Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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