1. Parachute: Aerodynamics
and Applications
AE 211A: Incompressible Aerodynamics
End Term Project
Team Members:
Abhinav Gupta
Ayush Jain
Nimish Kumar
Shrey Verma
Tanmay Jaipurkar

2. Parachute
 A device used to reduce the speed of an object:
o By application of atmosphere drag
o Also through generation of lift
 Strong and light material like silk, nylon used for fabrication
 Can be used for carrying multiple variety of loads:
o Rescue materials like people, food, equipment,
o Space capsules, and bombs.

3. CLASSIFICATION:
1. Conventional Parachute
Uses drag as a primary medium for
control
2. Gliding Parachute
Capable of imparting horizontal
velocity for control

4. Extra-Terrestrial Applications
 Aerodynamic deceleration at the time of entry in unknown environments
 Safe Landing of payloads on other planets like Rovers such as “spirit” and
“opportunity” send by NASA on Mars.

5. Parachute Deployment : A Numerical Approach
 Computational Fluid Dynamics: Fluid Structure Interaction model, eg.: Based
on SIMPLE algorithm
 Six-Degree-of-Freedom model of a parachute have been developed that
includes the basic equations of motion, analysis and computation of the
aerodynamic forces and moments, and investigation with modeling of special
modes observed in flight

6. AIRCRAFT RECOVERY SYSTEM
 Designed to safely lower the aircraft and its occupants to the ground
in the case of pilot incapacitation, disorientation or aircraft
malfunction.
o Example - Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS).

7. REFERENCES
 Cockrell,D.J.,"TheAerodynamicsofParachutes",AGARDographNo.295,1987.
 Desai, P.N., Knocke, P.C., Mars Exploration Rover entry, descent, and landing
trajectory analysis. The J. of the Astronautical Sc., 55-3, Jul–Sep 2007, 311–323
 J. Yeakle et. al., Computer Simulation of a Whole-Aircraft Parachute Recovery
System, 20th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and
Seminar, 4 - 7 May 2009, Seattle, Washington
 Cao Y H, Wan K, Song Q F, et al. Numerical simulation of parachute Fluid-Structure
Interaction in terminal descent. Sci China Tech Sci, 2012, 55: 3131–3141
 V. N. Dobrokhodov et. al., Six-Degree-of-Freedom Model of a Controlled Circular
Parachute, J. of Aircraft, 40-3, May–Jun 2003, 482-493
 A. Steltzneret.al.,"Opportunities and Limitations in Low Earth Subsonic Testing for
Qualification of Extra terrestrial Supersonic Parachute Designs,"AIAA-2003-2135